Advanced Level students kept in suspense as deadlock continues

The marking of Advanced Level answer scripts was to have begun today, according to an assurance given by Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena, but the Federation of University Trade Unions (FUTA) says no marking of papers will be carried out until the current union action is called off.

Educationists and trade union activists say any further delay would have an adverse impact on the academic system. Ceylon Teachers Service Union general secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that a delay in releasing exam results would affect students waiting to enter university or expecting to re-sit the exam. If the Government had the students’ interests at heart, the crisis would have been resolved by now, he said. Ceylon Teachers Union general secretary Joseph Stalin said university academics played a key role in A/Level paper marking because they had a say in decisions on university admissions. “They are boycotting paper marking, and they have our support,” he told the Sunday Times.

Mr. Stalin rejected the suggestion that retired university lecturers and school teachers may be recruited to mark A/L answer scripts. “Retired teachers and lecturers are not familiar with the new syllabus, so they cannot mark papers,” he added.

University of Colombo Senior Professor in Sociology Siri Hettige said the Department of Examinations was losing credibility. “An immediate solution is needed regarding internal issues and education experts should be consulted,” he said.