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| Sunday, 9 May 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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School admissions : How parents get punished each year by LAKMAL WELABADA Entering one's child to a 'good' school is a dream of every parent. While affluent parents send their children to International Schools which have popped up like mushrooms all over the country for the past one and half decades, the middle class try their best to get their children at least into a popular government school or a private school.
Nalini (32) from Piliyandala who was aiming for a leading boys' school in Maradana for her son said that all the documents required for the purpose were ready. "I know forging documents is bad and illegal. But, whatelse to do. Both my husband and I were not from Colombo city. We are permanent residents in Piliyandala. Like every parent, we also want to give the best education to our only child. Since we are not so affluent to send him to an International School, the only chance we have left is to try a 'good' government school. When my son was born, the address we put in his birth certificate was of a place close to that particular boys' school. And our names have been put as the tenants of the annexe of that house. My husband and I converted our Identity Cards and bank accounts to this address. We have no political background to use influence. But we won't give up. I made a vow to a certain 'Devalaya' to make our dream a reality. We are doing all this for the sake of the future of our son. I hope my 'Kolla' will get through it," said Nalini. Jayaratne (65) from Kaduwela said his daughter has been working hard in her OGA since the birth of his grand-daughter. "My daughter is an old girl of a leading girls' school in Colombo. She became a 'full time' member of the school OGA since she discovered that her baby was to be a girl, from the scan done in the eighth month of the pregnancy. We are not living within the distance limit required by the school. So, my son-in-law is running to and fro to get all the required documents ready for their little daughter's school entrance. I sometimes feel very sorry for them. If they 'miss the bus' after doing all that, both the parents will end up with a nervous breakdown," he said. Asela (36) from Kottawa said he won't have a good night's sleep until he could admits his daughter to the leading girls' school he was hoping to. "My wife says she has dreamt of our little girl in the uniform of that particular girls' school. I told her not to have high hopes since we can't be sure whether we would get it or not. Our little daughter has also overheard our discussions. And now she is also asking us when she is going to that school. She has even told her montessori friends about it," he said. Rita (43) is a teacher of a leading government boys' school in Colombo. "I have been serving in this school for the past 15 years. Many of my relatives, neighbours and family friends have been worrying me to enter their children to this school. I have shown them the path, but there's little we can do since the government rules and regulations are very strict now," she said. At the end, we met Mrs. Rupa Amarasinghe, Principal of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo to get the exact schedule and procedure for school admissions for Grade One. She spoke of the experiences she had when facing every year's 'demanding battle' of parents versus school. "We send our member to each and every applicant's selected as the residents within 1,400m area from school, to check whether they are actually living at that address. But we have found that some of those addresses are just a plot of land or a small deserted building, and no one has been living there for ages. Our members make sudden visits either at mid-night or early in the morning as only then can we trace the truth. But this is a risk as it can be life threatening. The message that I can give to the parents is not to forge documents and lie, as it will cause terrible problems to all of us. After the first round of selection, we put a temporary list of names of the 'selected children' on the school notice board. So if anyone (mainly the parents who have been disappointed) has an objection over the selections he/she can make a complaint. Then we call both parties face to face and ask the complainant to state the offense and the "accused" to prove their innocence," explained Mrs. Amarasinghe. She further said that at least one fundamental rights violation case is filed in Courts against the school by parents of the 'disappointed party'. "We try our best to be reasonable. But we cannot go against the government circular. We are also government servants. Parents should realise this," she said. Mrs. Amarasinghe further said that the number of students for the school in-take for grade one per year is just 200. "Out of that 175 are selected on the marking scheme and the balance, 25 are given for the children of persons in the Forces," she said. The selected applicants (parents and children) are called for an interview held by a panel of five to six members at school. Principal or Vice-principal, head of the primary section, two senior teachers, a parent from the School Development Society and a member of the OGA/OBA are included in the panel. The birth certificate of the child, parents' identity cards and other documents needed to prove their residency and qualifications are checked carefully. 'Until my child get a 'good' school I'm on 'pins', is the sentence I heard from almost every parent who had a child of school entering age. All are trying to get 'good' schools. What and where is the problem in our educational system? When is this battle going to be over? It is a big question. **** Rules of the game According to the Circular issued by the Secretary to the Ministry of Education on 23.05.2003 the main rules and regulations for the grade one school entrance are as follows: To enter your child to a popular school you have to get the maximum marks according to the marking system of the government circular. Householders (those within 1,400m) - 40% If the Parents are old girls/old boys of the school - 25% If an elder brother/sister is studying in the school at present - 15% If the parents are working in the government sector and get a transfer in the same year to the area where the school is situated - 7% Non-householders or the tenants (within 1,400m) for the past six years - 7% If the parents are in the educational field - 4% If the whole family was abroad on a scholarship or on government service or due to any other valid reason, and back within the past three years - 2% |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
And the demand for the popular government schools has become a mini-war
among parents, children, school principals and teachers. Calling for
applications for Grade One admissions this year will commence in the next
few months. While the election fever is fading away, the heat of the
'school entrance battle' is picking up in almost every home where there is
a five-year-old. The Sunday Observer decided to speak to a mother, father,
grandparent, teacher and a principal and seek their views on this topic
while going along with the circular that restricts their dreams.
