Grade five schol exam: zero for 616

Uditha Kumarasinghe and Irangika Range

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha told Parliament yesterday that 616 students who sat for last year's Grade five scholarship Examination (2008) had got zero marks.

The percentage of the students who scored zero was 0.2 per cent, he said.

This was mentioned in the answer tabled by the Minister on behalf of a question raised by JVP MP Nawaratne Banda for oral answers.

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** Number of students who sat for the exam - 275,151

** Number of students who passed - 32,000

** Number of students who qualified to receive allowances- 15,000

** Number of students who qualified to enter popular schools - 17,000

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The total number of students who sat for the examination was 275,151.

The answer tabled by the Minister said: "There is no classification as 'passed' in the examination. In this examination, they are classified as "students who have obtained marks above the cut off marks" to be decided to grant scholarship allowances.

The scholarship allowances are provided only for students in low income group families. There is no classification as "failed" in this examination.

This examination is held as a selection test. There is only an assessment of matters. Based on results of this examination, a student who gets qualified for the scholarship after studying even in a less privileged school will get the opportunity for admission to a school with facilities."

According to the competitive situation, parents send their children for tuition classes and to do the relevant printed question papers with the intention of getting a leading school for their children. The reason for this situation is the limited accommodation in leading National schools and provincial schools for the admission of nearly 32,000 students who get qualified in the scholarship examination.

This is an unnecessary pressure created by various external institutions and individuals.

It is not owing to any fault in the scholarship examination."