Answer scripts marking tangle set to loosen
If university lecturers don’t start marking answer scripts within a week, Govt. to seek alternatives for a fee
The Education Ministry is planning to ask retired university lecturers to mark G.C.E. Advanced Level answer scripts in the wake of a boycott by university lecturers.
The Sunday Times learns that some retirees are willing, while others would be asked to take up the work.
State Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Suren Raghavan told the Sunday
Times that if, within a week, uiversity lecturers won’t start marking answer scripts, alternatives will be sought for a fee. But, he also said he is “prepared to discuss with them anytime’’.
“This moral act of paper marking for our younger citizens, has become politicised. This is totally immoral," he said. “These students had Corona at age 16, power cuts and absolute anarchy. As a responsible community, we must get this done and fulfil our duty to the young people.’’
Only about 20 Advanced Level papers need FUTA involvement while 42 papers do not.
Earlier this week, the Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha said certain political elements are behind the issue, citing an intelligence report, which the president then mentioned later.
On Wednesday, President Ranil Wickremesinghe in a discussion with education officials, suggested making education, especially examinations, a compulsory service.
He said that those who marked papers the last time should be available at this time as well. If not, he said, they would be prosecuted and their property seized and bankrupted.
The spokesman of the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA), senior university lecturer Charudaththa Illangasinghe said the union does not oppose making education an essential service, but objects to threats to force lecturers to mark answer scripts.
“The Government is attempting to seize the property of lecturers because of debts. Why not seize the property [related to] frauds such as the Central Bank [of Sri Lanka] robbery instead?” he asked.
Responding to the minister’s accusation, he said the FUTA was never involved in party politics. However, he accepts that there are some lecturers engaged in party politics, but do not have a relationship with any particular party.
“We had tried to start marking [answer scripts] two times, but politicians and parents started slinging mud at us,’’ he said.
Mr. Illangasinghe said the Government is trying to provoke the parents against the university lecturers, and the Government does not care about the children.
“It was on the last day of ALs [exam] that the electricity supply continued without interruption. We are asking for a temporary solution since the income of lecturers has dropped to zero, or [in some cases] has even become negative.’’
The chairman of the All Island Teachers Union, Ven. Yalawela Panyasekara Thera said teachers are ready to mark answer scripts since the allowance has been increased from Rs. 500 to Rs. 2,900.
However, university lecturers are needed since they train teachers and also head the panels that mark answer scripts.
“We are disappointed in the postponement. Children are wasting their time until the results come, with no job and would engage in bad things,’’ Ven. Panyasekara Thera said.
He attributes the lack of teachers to the fact that their Rs 500 allowance had not been paid for previous work.
“Some teachers from Jaffna and Monaragala have to come to Colombo for some subjects. Daily expenses such as bus fares have increased as well. Paper marking can start now with the available teachers. We have asked for the other teachers to join as well,’’ Ven. Panyasekara Thera said. “We are not against the trade union action by lecturers. But, think of this as a national duty. This is like doctors in a strike not treating ICU patients.’’
The secretary of the National Principals Union, Mohan Weerasinghe said the delay in marking answer scripts is taking away the best time of the youths. “Their results are delayed and they cannot pursue their targets. Time is money.’’
Advanced Levels and Ordinary Levels are constantly being postponed, but the syllabi have been covered and students are now working on past papers in “a separate hall,’’ Mr. Weerasinghe said.
The vice-president of the All Island Professional Lecturers Association, Dewaka Chandranath, said university lecturers are staying neutral.
“All exams are delayed. The date was announced only on Wednesday as May 29 for the Ordinary Levels. But the way it is going, we are unsure of that as well,’’ he said. Those resitting are also facing uncertainty.
He said teachers are in a precarious situation as well since their allowances for last year had not been paid.
A student who wrote the AL examination in the mathematics stream, expressed his distress over the constant delays.
“Our AL batch faced a series of tough moments including natural disasters, the economic crisis and power interruption. The problem should be solved immediately, since it is vital for students to get to the next level of education,’’ the student said. “Our valuable youth is passing rapidly. Even though most of us are enrolled in courses, some have not, causing them severe pressure, which they cannot manage.’’
A candidate of the 2022 (2023) AL examination for a second time, Senuja Senaratne, said: “Already two months have passed. In a normal situation, we should have the results by next month, but they have not even started marking yet. Results were delayed the last time as well. After the results are released, cut-off marks have to be released, and then university has to begin. Even some courses of the previous batch have not started.’’