New subject streams for O/L, A/L students

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

In a move to introduce more vocational training-based subjects to the school curriculum, the Education Ministry is making arrangements to introduce a new subject stream to the Advanced Level and Ordinary Level examinations from next year, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the Sunday Observer.

Minister Gunawardena said the Education Ministry along with the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry is now conducting discussions to introduce a new subject stream called Technological Studies for the Advanced Level syllabus.

“The National Institute of Education and the Youth Affairs and the Skills Development Ministry are having discussions to formulate the syllabus for this subject stream”, Minister Gunawardena said.

Minister Gunawardena said this subject stream would be introduced in addition to the three subject streams-Science, Commerce and Arts for Advanced Level students.

However, he said it is compulsory for students to have obtained at least a pass for mathematics at the GCE O/Ls to follow technological studies for the Advanced Level.

“Students who could not pass maths at the O/L can only study Arts subjects”, he said.

He said the Ministry has also taken the initiative to introduce a vocational training-based subject named Life Skills for Ordinary Level students.

“They can select Agriculture, Technology and Entrepreneurship as a subject under Life Skills for the O/L examination”, Minister Gunawardena explained.