A/L paper marking begins next month

by Manjula FERNANDO

The evaluation of the 2012 GCE Advanced Level examination answer scripts will begin next week.

Examinations Commissioner General N.J. Pushpakumara said a group of university lecturers who met him last week expressed their willingness to do paper marking.

“Some university lecturers responded to our call for a meeting, which was held last week. Therefore, we decided to begin paper marking next month.”

However, he said without the entire paper marking contingent of the 400 university lecturers, he is unable to complete the task.”We can only evaluate certain selected subjects,”he said. Generally paper marking starts soon after the A/L examination to ensure that the results are released in the shortest possible time and to cover the marking process during the August holidays. The results of the GCE (A/L) examination 2011 were released on December 25.

“This year we are compelled to deviate from this schedule due to the strike action by the university teachers,” the Commissioner General said.Altogether, a staff of 14,000 university and school teachers are deployed for the evaluation of Advanced Level papers. Of this number, 400 are university dons.

He said the high standard maintained by the Examinations Department earned international recognition, for Sri Lankan examinations will not be compromised due to the academics’ trade union action.

He appealed to the academics to report for examination duty notwithstanding their ongoing trade union action.”

If the university teachers agree to do paper marking starting from October, we are prepared to expedite the process, work a double shift and release the results without much delay,” he said.