EFSL urges Govt. to keep internet issues in mind when holding national exams

The disparity created by the online teaching method due to lack of internet coverage in rural areas has to be taken into consideration when holding national exams, the Education Forum Sri Lanka (EFSL) said this week.

This follows the Government announcement calling online applications for the 2021 local A/L exams scheduled to be held in October this year. EFSL said it would be unfair to hold national exams with around 60% of the students being deprived of lessons conducted online during the pandemic times.

It said the timing and content of national exams have to be carefully evaluated before holding exams in difficult times and it proposed that exams should be held only for cumulative subjects including mother tongue and maths, while the other subjects should be assessed through activity based modules.

The EFSL urged the Government to implement the education reforms proposed for 2023 early so students sitting exams in 2021and 2022 will also benefit.

The proposed education reforms scheduled to be implemented in 2023 recommended that the exam burden on children be reduced by including only 30% of the curriculum in national exams and the rest of the curriculum to be assessed through activity based modules.

The proposal also limits subjects in the GCE O/L exams to core subjects.

In the meantime the EFSL also recommended that students sitting national exams be given equitable support by the Education Ministry, through resources allocated to address shortcomings.

For this purpose it urged the Education Ministry to begin preparations for the 2022 national exams early, by ensuring that students have digital devices to download content.

Also it emphasised on the importance of issuing text books for major subjects while the visual media could be used to present subject-related activities and demonstrations.

Other recommendations include abolishing grade five scholarship exams and term exams for children between grade six and nine and instead promoting students to the next grade through assessments made on the general intelligence of the children.