Grade 5 Scholarship exam achievers sans schools

Sections of students who passed the Grade 5 Scholarship exam are in a dilemma, as authorities are finding it difficult to find suitable schools for them.

Though the respective schools are supposed to accommodate children passing the Scholarship exam with good results, they do not have vacancies.

Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the Education Times that these revelations were made after he sent out teams to find out why some of the parents were protesting that their children were not being given schools, despite passing the Grade 5 Scholarship exam well.

He said his officials found that some of the schools assigned to accommodate those passing the Grade 5 exam, had constructed additional classes from Grade 1 upwards and hence, were not in a position to have additional Grade 6 classes due to lack of space.

He said he has called for a report about the schools having additional classes from Grade 1 onwards and thereby finding it difficult to put up another class.

He said he intends to put up a Cabinet paper for a National policy on school admissions, to come into effect next year, to avoid similar situations in future.

Meanwhile, discussions are underway to accommodate the affected students in other schools.

The move comes in the wake of a Ministry decision that, in future, it would be optional for students to sit the Grade 5 Scholarship exam, thereby reducing the competition to shift schools based on the results.

- Damith Wickremasekara