‘No disruption to year-end term tests’:

A/L paper marking to be completed by Nov 21

by Manjula FERNANDO

The Examinations Department hopes to complete the GCE Advanced Level 2012 examination paper marking by November 21 without any disruption to the year-end term tests of state schools with the end of the three-month FUTA strike.

Examinations Commissioner General N.J. Pushpakumara told the Sunday Observer that the Department has already commenced paper marking answer scripts (old syllabus) in the first stage of the evaluation process from October 8 with the help of 680 school teachers and university lecturers. The first stage will conclude by Wednesday.

“We began paper marking on Monday last week, following a meeting with the university teachers who responded positively to our call to commence paper marking,” the Commissioner General said. The strike action by the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) was called off on Thursday following talks with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Treasury Secretary P.B . Jayasundera and Higher Education Ministry officials.

The Department has also scheduled the second phase of the paper marking from October 25 to November 5.

The papers to be evaluated under the second phase include Physical Science and Biology, Commerce, Accountancy and certain Arts subjects under the new syllabus. A total of 8,785 school and university teachers will evaluate the papers in the second stage, the Examinations Commissioner said.

Fourteen out of 30 schools in Colombo, used as marking centres will be closed from October 24 to November 6 on account of the paper marking.

“Some principals are keen to continue school sessions while the marking process is under way and we have decided to fall in line so that there will be less disruption to school activities,” he said adding that Royal College which would serve as a Coordinating Centre will, however, remain closed during this period.

The meetings to discuss the marking criteria for exam panels in the second stage of the evaluation will be held from October 18 to 23. The schools will remain open during these sessions.

The third phase of the marking will be held from November 12 to 21 and the examination panel meetings have been scheduled for November 10 and 11.

“No school will be closed during the third phase of paper marking,” he said.