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United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Bandula Gunawardana yesterday criticised thegovernment for allowing international school students to sit for local examinations conducted by the Department of Examinations, after an international school student became an island-wide top scorer in the Advanced LevelArt stream.
“This is a part of a conspiracy commenced by the Government against the free education system of this county,” MP Gunawardana told reporters at Vajirashramaya in Borella.
He argued that the Department of Examinations should have not releasedthe localexam results of private applicants along with Government school applicants. According to Gunawardana, the Department of Examinations had never released results of private applicants along with Government school applicants before.
“Coupling exam results of Government and international schools, and selecting a student from an international school as topping the list, may give the notion that one needs to send their kids to international schools for better results,” he said.
Gunawardana said that when he was the Minister of Education, he had not allowed international school students to sit for local examinations as Government school students. He emphasised students of international schools should have to sit for international examinations.
However, Gunawardana acknowledged that any citizen of Sri Lanka has the right to sit for a local examination as a private applicant.
He said international school students sit for the local Advanced Level examinations as English medium students,and get the chance to be selected for State University degree courses, including medicine and engineering.
“As far as I know, the Government has not recognised international schools. Therefore this year,the coupling of the Advanced Level exam results of international schoolapplicantswith Government schoolstudents has raised concerns.”
He also went on to say he would write a book regarding the free education system in Sri Lanka and its challenges.
