Educationists, teachers and parents on ...

New guidelines for admission to grade one

by Ananda Kannangara

The Sunday Observer last week sought the views of leading educationists, school teachers, principals and parents on the new guidelines, pertaining to grade one admissions for Government schools next year. Here are the excerpts of interview.

Principal, St. Paul's, Milagiriya, Bambalapitiya Geetha Abegunawardane was reluctant to make any comment on the new guidelines on school admissions to year one classes.

"Making a comment on this issue is pointless at this juncture as the final decision has already been announced, even the applications for grade one will be called from August 15."

She said that as a public servant she was bound to carry out whatever rules and regulations put forward by the Education Ministry.

President of an OGA of a leading girls' school in Colombo Sarojini Selvanayagam said that officials can make guidelines on the admissions of children to year one, but as an active member of the OGA she was of the opinion that all members in Past Pupils' Associations must be given the opportunity to admit their children considering the service rendered by them to their respective schools.

"During the last several years our OGA has done an invaluable service to uplift the standard of sports and aesthetic studies in our school by making colossal financial donations; we also renovated several dilapidated buildings".

She, therefore urged school authorities not to apply the new guidelines on school admissions for children of active PPA members, as it is their duty to admit the children of active PPA members to schools without any hindrance.

A banker Namal Weerasinghe of Moratuwa said "I read with great interest the new guidelines on school admissions for grade one children, approved by the country's highest judiciary.

"But unfortunately the guidelines were not ethical as they easily pave the way only for affluent parents to admit their children, therefore I humbly request the President to appoint another committee, comprising educationists to solve the matter,".

A member of an OBA Nilakshan Perera said "Past pupils' associations are the backbone of school development activities. They always provide the funds for schools to carry out extracurricular activities of students. "Therefore I request the authorities not to insist on adhering to all the guidelines with respect to active PPA members whenever they want to admit their children to schools".

A trishaw driver, Susantha Munaweera of Keppettipola said the new guidelines issued last week on school admissions for grade one children were very unfair, as they will adversely affect parents who do not have proper jobs and not in a financially sound position.

Indika Senaratna of Kadawatha was not happy with the new guidelines on school admissions, released last week, as all these guidelines will deprive poor people from admitting their children to popular schools.

"These new guidelines will indirectly help affluent parents such as ministers, members of Parliament, professionals and wealthy people to admit their children to any school they prefer without any hindrance."

Therefore, he wanted the Education Ministry to insist that the same procedure be adopted for admission to year one, next year too. A private sector executive Ravi Perera said "According to the new guidelines on school admissions a child's intelligence is examined at the interview when admitting him or her and I think it is a stupid decision.

"If so children will have to attend private tuition classes from year one to acquire that knowledge."

Raviraj Satharasinghe, a student of a Colombo school asked school authorities to refrain from implementing the new guidelines for active members in Past Pupils' Associations, considering the service rendered by the members for the development of extra activities in schools.

"Everybody knows that PPAs are active in schools, especially in popular schools in Colombo, Kandy and Galle as the Government cannot afford any extra activities in schools other than paying salaries for teachers." Malmi Ranaweera of Mt. Lavinia asked President Mahinda Rajapaksa to use his executive powers and cancel the already approved new guidelines on school admissions.

"The President must appoint a commission, comprising higher educational authorities, teachers, school principals and members of OBAs to make recommendations on the admissions of children to year one".

Dr. Niroshan Pattalagedara of Hanwella said the matter of school admissions must be discussed by educationists and not professionals in other fields as this is like consulting a doctor to seek legal assistance.

"However, I request the President to go ahead with the old procedure adopted on school admissions; if not people in low income families will never be able to admit children to popular schools in Colombo or any other town.

A father of two, Kusumsiri Wimalasena said it was unethical to check the intelligence of a five - year- old child or take into account the professional qualifications of parents at the school admission interview. A member of a school OGA, Shiranthi Basnayaka said it is highly embarrassing that according to the new guidelines on school admissions, parents of children must get through at least the GCE (OL) Examination to admit the child to a popular school.

"I think this regulation must be adopted in the case of our parliamentarians as about twenty per cent of them have not passed the OL examination".

A schoolteacher Herman Weerasekara said: "Children's admissions on PPA category must not be restricted; if so all extra activities done by past pupils' associations will come to an end.

Therefore I request the education authorities not to go ahead with the new guidelines".

A mother of two, Kusuma Siriwardana said: "Two of my daughters attend a leading Government school in Kandy and most of the parents are rich; they also help the school in numerous ways such as in granting scholarships to children and also helping children to be the computer literate".

"If the Government, imposes restrictions on admission of children under the PPA category with this new guidelines, definitely the school will lose valuable parents adversely affecting the development of schools".

An unnamed school principal of Maharagama, a father of four said: "We also like to admit children according to the regulations stated in the new guidelines, but I do not think that the poor will get the opportunity to admit their children to popular schools. There are children in our school, coming from slums and shanties.

According to the new guidelines, MPs and Ministers will get the opportunity to admit their children to popular schools.

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