Reschedule O/L script marking date; exclude December 25 - CTSU

The Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) yesterday protested to the Examination Department’s schedule to mark answer scripts of the GCE O/L examination this year on the Christmas day (December 25) and demanded to rearrange the answer paper marking to remove December 25 from the schedule.

General Secretary of the CTSU, Mahinda Jayasinghe in a letter to the Commissioner of Examination said officials and teachers of Christian faith who involved in answer paper marking have been thoroughly embarrassed as the Examination Department has scheduled the Christmas Day – December 25 - as a answer script marking day.

“By making December 25 as a answer script marking day of the GCE O/L examination, the department has deprived the Christians their right to engage in religious activities on the most important day in the Christian calendar. Besides, December 25 is a public holiday and answer script marking is not an essential service,” Mr. Jayasinghe stressed.

He demands that the Commissioner of Examination reschedule and remove December 25 as a script marking day to facilitate officials and teachers of Christian faith to engage in their religious activities freely.

Officials and teachers of Christian faith who involved in answer paper marking have been thoroughly embarrassed