Re-conducting Maths paper more important - Education Minister

Ananda KANNANGARA

Education Minister Susil Premajayanth yesterday said making arrangements to re-conduct the GCE (O/L) Maths Paper II for the benefit of over 290,000 students is important than giving priority to take action against officials responsible for the mishap.

Responding to a demand made by the Ceylon Teachers' Union to take immediate action against irresponsible officials who prepared the GCE (O/L) Maths II paper without considering the syllabus and violating the guidelines. The Education Minister told the Daily News that taking action against the errant officials will be considered later.

"Priority is given to conduct the examination and this is not the first occasion that the Examination Department had to cancel a question paper," he said.

The Minister reminded that such occurrences happened even in the past and said the leakage of the Sinhala Language and the cancellation of the Mathematics paper in 1983 were examples.

According to a decision taken by the Examinations Department, a fresh Maths paper II will be conducted for GCE (O/L) students under new syllabus on January 24.

He also said due to the fresh examination the date of commencement of the Government schools in January will not be changed under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, Examinations Chief Anura Edirisinghe said the fresh Maths question paper will be prepared under a new setting panel appointed by the Minister.