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A technology stream at A/L vital

by Prof. Dayantha WIJEYSEKERA

It is a well-known fact that the GCE Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level are qualifications obtained through public examinations conducted by the Department of Examinations of the Ministry of Education. The GCE A/Level is for the purpose of certifying a person's achievement in General Education with university selection as an additional outcome. However, there is a misconception among some that the GCE A/Level examination is solely for entrance to the conventional universities in the country.

Quantity surveying

Those who successfully complete their GCE A/Level examination with the requisite passes, having completed their secondary school education could proceed to obtain higher education which includes university education, of course with the required 'Z-score' to the conventional universities. However, there are students who leave the secondary schools prior to sitting the GCE A/Level or even before the GCE O/Level for other forms of education and training. These students depending on their qualifications in General Education would fall into the category of Tertiary Education which covers Vocational Education, Technical Education, Professional Education and also Higher Education and University Education.

Tertiary is the third stage after primary and secondary schooling.

Those who have followed their education preferably up to GCE O/Level classes and also those who have proceeded further, but prefer Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as their future career could explore the opportunities available through Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) registered or accredited courses of study. The currently available opportunities in the TVET sector could be obtained from the TVET Guide 2011 by visiting the website www.tvec.gov.lk link TVET Guide, which is a publication of the TVEC.

Tertiary education

To align youth in secondary schools to the TVET sector which is essential for the development of any country, the Standing Committee on Tertiary and Technical Education of the National Education Commission initiated in February 2009, the deliberations on a Technology stream for the GCE A/Level in addition to the four existing streams for the GCE A/Level namely Arts, Bio-Science, Commerce and Physical Science.

The National Education Commission accepted this in early 2010 and submitted them to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in July 2010 to be among the recommendations to the National Education Policy on Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Education. Thereafter, the recommendation was forwarded to the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Education for implementation.

While it was anticipated that at least some secondary schools would commence this stream in January 2011, it has not materialised.

It is hoped that at least by January 2012 it will be available to those who aspire to pursue fields of study in further education, having successfully completed the requisite subjects for the pursuance of the specific field of education leading to the TVEC accredited Technical and Vocational Education Certificate, Diploma and even degree qualifications.

While the engineering faculties of the conventional universities in Sri Lanka may not accept, in the near future, this stream to be appropriate as an entry requirement to the BSc (Eng) degree programs, there are many other faculties in the Sri Lanka university system, TVEC registered technical training institutes both in the public and private sector, colleges of technology and technical colleges, vocational training institutes, catering for the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ), who have indicated that this stream would be acceptable as an entry qualification with the appropriate subject combinations.

Recommended subjects

Agro technology

A vocational training centre in operation

The three groups which have been proposed are shown below with the recommended subject combinations which could lead to different fields of further tertiary education covering selected courses in university education, higher education, technological education, professional education, vocational education courses of study and training.

Group A:

* Mechanical Technology

* Electrical, Electronics and Information Technology

* Civil Technology

Group B:

* Food Technology

* Agro Technology

* Bio -Resources Technology

Group C:

* Combined Mathematics

* Physics

* Chemistry

* Biology

* Information Technology

* Accountancy

* Economics

* Agriculture

* Geography

The subject combinations recommended are as follows:

I) Three subjects from Groups A and C with one from Group A and two from Group C.

NOTE: Students selecting Electrical, Electronics and Information Technology from Group A should select any two subjects from Group C other than Information Technology

II) Three subjects from Groups B and C with at least one from each group (See table)

Already available

Since these subjects are already available for the GCE (A/Level) curriculum, there is no immediate need to prepare new curriculum material.

Teachers with the technological and/or science qualifications could be deployed initially on visiting/contract basis, till such time the University of Vocational Technology (UNIVOTEC) produces graduates of Bachelor of Education in Technology i.e. B.Ed (Tech) who will be ideally suited for this purpose.

For the practicals and hands-on experience, the Minister of Education and Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development have given guidance to the officials to initially share the available laboratory and workshop resources.

Therefore, there will be some hope in the near future for the "Technology Preferring Students" not to be classed as "dropouts" but to develop their careers in specific technology areas even up to degree level (step by step), which is very relevant to the development needs of the country.

The writer is the Chairman, of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), and a Member of the National Education Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Subject Combinations

Computer Science

* Mechanical Technology or Electrical, Electronics and Information Technology (Group A)

* Combined Mathematics (Group C)

* Physics, Chemistry or Information Technology (Group C)

Information and Communication Technology

* Mechanical Technology or Electrical, Electronics and Information Technology (Group A)

* Any two subjects from Group C

Applied Sciences - Physical Science

* Agro Technology (Group B)

* Any two subjects from Group C

Agricultural Technology or Engineering