They number nearly 10,000 including 160 ex-child soldiers:

More IDP children sit O/Ls

Manjula FERNANDO

Nearly 10,000 Vanni IDP children including 160 ex-child soldiers will sit for the GCE Ordinary Level examination in December, marking a significant increase in the number of candidates sitting this examination after clearing the area of LTTE rule.

According to the Examinations Department, last year there were only 6,671 candidates from the Vanni (Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts) the former stronghold of LTTE where most underage recruits were conscripted by the LTTE.

Vavuniya South Zonal Education Director Surangani Oswald said 6,250 candidates of the total 10,000, including 160 ex-cadres will sit for the Ordinary Level exam as school candidates while the rest of the children will take up the exam as private candidates.

Oswald who attended a meeting chaired by Examinations Commissioner General Anura Edirisinghe in Colombo early this week to discuss the arrangements for the IDP O/L candidates said the ex-cadres, all under 18, who will be sitting the exam are now studying at a special co-op school situated in Poonthottam, Vavuniya.

The rehab school has a principal and 15 teachers.

The Examinations Department confirming figures of Oswald said a final count of exam candidates will be made close to the exam date before November.

He said there is a significant increase in the numbers this year and the actual figures could be released after the final registration.

The Department has also made arrangements to let the 2008 Vanni O/L candidates to sit for the special mathematics paper given to the O/L candidates last year, along with the 2009 exam. The first paper was withdrawn by the Exams Department due to protests from students and parents. Vanni students could not sit for this special repeat paper administered in January 2009 due to logistical problems.