Education TUs criticise pre-A/L ban on tuition and model papers

Two prominent trade unions in the Education sector have criticised moves by the Exams Dept to impose a ban on tuition classes, seminars, workshops and distribution of model papers ahead of the GCE A/L exam.

The ban has been imposed for a month, with effect from July 27.

Initially, the ban was imposed by the previous government to prevent the leak of question papers, ahead of public exams such as the O/L, A/L and Grade 5 Scholarship exam.

Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) President, Joseph Stalin said, “We cannot understand why the Exams Commissioner continues to insist on this particular direction whenever an exam is near, even following the changes made by the present Government, which should have remedied the existing corruption and irregularities.”

The Ceylon Teacher’s Service Union (CTSU) is of the opinion that the ban has a negative impact on students of low income families, who are unable to afford individual private tuition.

CTSU President, Lal Kumara said, “We have expressed our opposition on this mechanism via written submission to the Exams Dept. However, every government continues with this unfair procedure despite widespread criticism.”

CTSU General Secretary, Mahinda Jayasinghe said, “The laws imposed by the previous government acknowledged the incompetency of the Exams Dept, and it is appalling that the present Government is continuing to impose this outrageous law, without resolving the actual problem. The CTSU urges the Dept to imple- ment mechanisms to prevent the leak of question papers.”

However, Commissioner General of the Exams Dept, W.M.N.J. Pushpakumara, referring to the statement released by the Dept on the ban on tuition classes a week before the A/L exam, said, “The main reason behind the ban imposed, according to the government gazette notification, would be to provide the students with an opportunity to enjoy free, individual study time before the exams. The response to the matter has been entirely positive, as most exam candidates, parents and teachers have requested the implementation of such a procedure in the past.”

He believes this to be an effective mechanism to dilute the unnecessary competition created surrounding these exams.