The Minister of Education G.L. Pieris said that wasting of time about one and half years for
Advanced Level passed students to enter the universities due to the limited number of
applications received for re-scrutinizing the answer scripts after the advanced level examination
must be stopped. More logical, practical and flexible method must be followed for that purpose.
The minister stated these ideas while participating in a special meeting with the Commissioner
General of Examinations Mr. B. Sanath Pujitha and additional commissioners of examinations at
the ministry of education today (6).
Furthermore, it was also discussed at this meeting that the marks obtained for the subject of
General Information Technology (GIT) by the advanced level students at the A/L examination
could be considered at the university entrance in order to popularize that subject among the
students. The Commissioner General mentioned that until the last year, there was only a written
test for the subject of General Information Technology and therefore the students did not pay
much attention to this subject. But since last year the students have been given the opportunity to
sit for this subject including a practical test which has increased the interest of students towards
this subject.
The Commissioner General further pointed out that the attention must also be drawn to the fact
that the students in some schools do not have the computer facilities and the internet facilities
and also to find the solutions for that challenge.
If some marks can be added to the Z score at the university entrance from the results obtained by
the students for the subjects General Test Paper and the English language test, it would also be
important, the Commissioner General proposed.
The minister of education further emphasized that the steps must be taken to prepare a testing
system that the knowledge is tested in a practical and flexible approach for children while
minimizing the gap between the education and technology. The proposals and plans for that
purpose should be submitted to him within the next few weeks. The assistance of the University
Grants Commission can be obtained in this task and the steps must be taken to modernize the
examination system in this country through a more formal and transparent methodology.
The Commissioner General of Examinations Mr. B. Sanath Pujitha, the Additional
Commissioner of Examinations, the senior officials of the Department of Examinations and the
Private Secretary of the Ministry of Education Mr. Naleen Gamlath had joined in this occasion.