New school admission system offers fair deal

by P. Krishnaswamy

The Secretary to the Ministry of Education Sunil Sirisena said that the new system of admission to Grade I introduced with Cabinet approval would adequately address complaints of corruption and favouritism, offering a fair deal to all prospective and eligible students.

Under the new system, principals of other schools where admissions are not sought, will chair the Appeal Boards, with observers from the offices of the Directors of Education and the Provincial Education Ministries.

The principals of these schools will chair the Interview Boards for selections, unlike in the previous years when officials of the Education Ministry chaired the Interview Boards, Sirisena said. Applications for admissions will be open till June 30, he said.

Under the new system, school principals who wielded power for admissions and were inclined to favouritism would be reasonably checked, the Ministry Secretary said.

The team of new parliamentarians led by Namal Rajapaksa MP, Ministers and a delegation of the Education Ministry that visited Kilinochchi and other Northern areas in the recent weeks to provide infrastructure and all other basic requirements in the resettlement areas also identified 63 schools in Kilinochchi which need immediate renovation.