FUTA condemns BG’s suspension of Grade 5 scholarship exam

The Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) has condemned Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena’s decision to suspend the Grade 5 Scholarship exam.

“The recent decision of the Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardene to suspend the Grade 5 Scholarship exam has generated an intense debate in our society. The intensity of the debate itself is an indication of the significance of the Grade 5 Scholarship exam for children, and more importantly, for their parents. In the first place, that the Minister of Education makes sudden and arbitrary policy decisions regarding an issue that is clearly of such importance for the public, is of deep concern”, the statement said.

“In fact, this reflects a serious issue with regard to the decision-making process of governments not just in education but in other areas as we l l . Ministers make sudden pronouncements, and even more suddenly decisions are reversed. There are already signals that the decision regarding the Grade 5 scholarship too will be reversed in the not too distant future. This is not how stable governments make important policy decisions. This is a reflection of a regime that is out of touch with reality, with the public, and is only concerned with political survival,” the statement added.

FUTA said the suspension will enable politicians to interfere even more so than they do now, in school admissions.

“ln fact, parents will face a further barrier since they will have to run behind politicians even more so than now if they want to ensure a good education for their children’, the statement added. ln the view of FUTA, the decisions made by this regime with regard to education are clear indicators of their complete disregard and, in fact, contempt of values such as equality, justice and good governance. No other government has damaged the education system of this country quite as much as the current one.