Exam sitting is a competitive experience for a youngster. After endless hours of study time, they approach the Department of Examinations Sri Lanka question paper with much hope. Examinees must love to study and try to pass tests like the Scholarship Exam, GCE Ordinary Level Exam, and GCE Advanced Level Exam. Critics point out that even these preliminary tests have yet to be adequately monitored by the Department of Examinations in this country.
Even with several rules or safety precautions, exam paper leaks have become standard procedure. This was exemplified by the event in which two contentious questions on the science paper and the English question paper from the 2023–24 O/L Examination leaked. Examinations Commissioner General Amith Jayasundara stated that the Department of Examinations guaranteed pupils received equitable treatment. As such, questions 9 and 39 of Part 1 of the Science paper were to receive two marks, one each. Allegations also surfaced that the science paper this year had questions unrelated to the syllabus. Should this be verified, the Department of Examinations promised to take action to avoid any unfairness to the pupils.
Accountable parties have not established a workable framework to deal with problems like paper leaking in exams and other difficulties, even though they urgently need to. Instead, the authorities depend on band-aid fixes, frequently turning to media appearances.
The Ministry of Education said that separate investigations are being carried out by the Ministry’s investigation units and the CriminalMinistry’stion Department to ascertain any possible link between senior officials of the Examination Department and the leak of the two Agriculture exam papers during the 2023 A-level exam last January. However, it becomes a question of responsibility if these anomalies continue despite these inquiries. The leadership in the education and examination industries must act decisively to stop such misbehavior if high-ranking officials are linked to the illegal distribution of question papers. Should this not be done, the country’s young people risk losing faith in the fairness of the tests that will determine their destiny.
Not only have the school authorities failed to plan zonal and mainstream exams to prevent question papers from being leaked, but discussions about the school term paper leaks in the Western and Central Provinces have also been heated.
Current legal loopholes- Ordinary Level Exam
Therefore, the problem is that these leaks happen, the current rules are not enforced, and the penalties must be revised. If the punishments are effective, engaging in such illegal actions might be a deterrent. Regretfully, exam papers have been leaked in some cases because of gaps in the existing legislation and the laxity of educational institutions; these kinds of activities are still on the rise.
Examine paper leaks are common in Sri Lanka, according to Dr. Prabhath Ekanayake, Dean of the University of Peradeniya’s Faculty of Arts, which is a result of Peradeniya’s current exam system. “Examinations are only used to gauge a child’s “talent in our educational system.” Theschild’s memorizing is more common than st” using helpful information. While science studies do not require practical exams, subjects like dance and music must. Exams don’t measure kids’ skills. Instead, the exam takes hours and 45 minutes to assess the child’s knowledge. The Sri Lankan child stem is broken.
Our educational and testing systems need to be reformed to address this situation. Instructors and educational authorities work hard to prepare exam papers, but the existing system only evaluates children’s knowledge.
Still, even with their commitment, there could be children in this cutthroat educational setting. One criticism about the exam paper preparation and invigilation selection procedure is the apparent favoritism based on personal relationships. Though it is acknowledged that such occurrences do happen, such charges cannot be disregarded.
While the Department of Examinations has taken steps to deal with these problems, they have failed.
Teachers who spend years guiding children in grades one through twelve get a thorough understanding of each student’s learning style and ability to absorb students. But unlike these dedicated teachers, the educational mafia in our nation takes advantage of exam-passing kids, frequently overshadowing the work of real professors. The financial resources of these people exceed even those of the Ministry of Education.
Money incentives can influence the Department of Examinations and the Ministry of Education officials. It is unlikely that question papers could be leaked via these means. This is a weakness in the entire architecture. Exam papers being released could appear insignificant in a nation where people have committed financial crimes like stealing from the Central Bank.
Such incidents, though, should not be written off lightly. A procedure must be implemented to stop mistakes in examination papers and their leaks. Should such a system be unworkable, the Department of Examinations is to blame. This should not be the case, even though steps will be taken to lessen the effects of leaked papers on students. The present educational system is failing the whole nation.
The Minister of Education must address education improvement or systematically have a coherent ideology. Their attempts to solve problems are fruitless. Therefore, restoring institutions such as the 1990s-established Education Commission to manage national education is urgently needed. Education might only be done if this is done. He said that entrusting knowledgeable people to solve educational issues is necessary.
Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Union, said, “Sri Lanka has an educational system”.” The testing procedure decides the destiny of the youngster. Three hundred thousand take the A/Level test, and 500,000 take the O/Level exam. After O/Levels, almost 200,000 children give up on their education. Therefore, These tests are essential, and the Department of Examinations is primarily responsible for them.
The Criminal Investigation Department has been informed about the English paper incident; this implies an effort to hide the occurrence. The Science paper was also prepared with mistakes. The Department of Education says that giving out grades makes amends to those complaining. Marks are not the only thing at stake here. When appropriate questions are not given, a scientifically gifted child is deprived of the chance to show off their skills and advance. The whole episode amounted to misleading the pupils.
