Trendy secondary education curriculum from 2013

*Ministry drafting text books

*Help of educationists, intellectuals sought

Dharma SRI ABEYRATHNE

The Education Ministry will change the secondary level school curriculum to meet present day trends and requirements in the education sector, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said.

The new curriculum will be implemented from 2013 upto grade six level.

It will be extended to other grades upto GCE Ordinary Level later.

The Education Ministry is drafting the text books for the new curriculum with the assistance of educationists, intellectuals and several other resource personnel, the minister added.

Meanwhile, a new mechanism will be introduced to the GCE Advanced Level in schools.

In terms of the new mechanism, students in grade eight have to choose a stream, which they desire to follow at the Advanced Level.

Subjects related to that selected stream will be taught from grade eight. Students will learn the relevant subjects for two years before they sit the GCE Ordinary Level examination.

The Education Ministry has taken this initiative to open more opportunities for students to continue their studies without much burdens.

The students will have to continue the subjects in the selected stream after passing the GCE OL examination.

"This will prevent the inconvenience faced by students in completing a huge and lengthy syllabus in the Advanced Level. According to education sector sources, most of the present syllabuses are too protracted and strenuous to be completed within a mere two years. When it comes to science and mathematics specially, the syllabuses are rather difficult to complete within two years," Minister Gunawardena said.

"Most students have become learning machines due to this. They do not have leisure or time to participate in extra curricular activities since they are preoccupied with completing syllabuses for the AL examination," the minister noted.

"However, after implementing the new method, the burden on students will significantly reduce since subjects are taught during four years," he added.