New-education reforms—Anti Tuition & Anti Exam —Just how Practical and wise are they ?

Minister of education and higher education Dr. Susil Premajayantha have said attending on an event on the 06th August 2023, observing what is taking place in Sri Lanka primarily looking at middle class Sri Lankans, it is obvious despite financial difficulties parents are somehow prioritized putting their children through tuition classes over attending schools, this is of because of the rigorous competitiveness exists within the Sri Lankan education system due to there are few opportunity is available to attain Graduate Level education. at least with in the free education system.

“Present day students have put a side school education and have opted to  prioritize tuition education as they are under an assumption through the tuition system they will be taught something more valuable extra that will facilitate them in future exams”.

Further he added “if we look at a rough estimation, an average advanced level student spent around 25000 per month on tuition education alone and under such circumstances can this education system be referred to as a free education” he stressed.

“We are going to change this system now. We will reduce the number of term tests. Accordingly, students from Grade One will have only one term test from next year. However, there will be assessments at the end of each lesson. 70% of marks will be for the term test, and 30% for assessments in the classroom. These percentages will gradually be brought to 50%,” 

This implies that when it comes to  highly competitive exams as University entrance advanced level examination, students will be measured upon only 50% from the actual advance Level Examination and the rest will be through school related activities.

We have to ask exactly how wise is this decision ? As individuals who had been through these exams ourselves, just how good are these average School tutors, exists if not been appointed within the government education system ?

Because teaching a subject to mature adolescents are not like teaching it to below 5th graders. In order to acquire and understand of both the students to subjects as it takes lots of experience from many areas of education for a private tuition tutor. So to completely disregard private tuition system to their tutors is completely irresponsible.

it is ashamed that everybody keeping a lid by not speaking out the truth about when it’s comes to University entrance examinations vast majority of students actually made it through the exam are not through by the academic work in preparations for the A/Levels done through their schools, rather what they have learnt through their tuition classes.

In fact, with in actual statistics less than 35% of students who gained access to National University are through their first attempt at advanced level while the rest through tuition classes. But their is no clear evidence to say first attempt students haven’t made any use of tuition classes. Because in reality they do. Despite popular beliefs.

But what is really compelling is that within the university’s students who had entered through their first attempt haven’t performed exceptionally well compared to the rest of the students (students entered through their second or third attempt at the levels).

But by dividing these requirements through 50-50, where 50% will be allocated for work done through School, exactly how justifiable is this? Because University entrance exam is a competitive exam. It is not an exam you will be given marks from completing simple home work and casual questioner.

Bottom line if Advanced level exams turns out to be what we assume it to be through these reforms the only outcome, it will eventually leads to the gradual decline in national university’s standards of Academics.

How ever ministerial objectives are quite clear according to him when such a system is in place it would be mandatory for the students to attend school, stay in classrooms and complete their studies every day, so that there would be no space or requirement for them (students) to attend tuition classes. “When this is implemented, parents will not need to spend money on extra classes by getting caught in an unnecessary competition within this system, and they can spend that money on other requirements for their children.”

Minister Premajayantha said that measures would also be taken to provide school children with separate textbooks for each term, in order to reduce the excessive weight of the students’ school bags, thereby ensuring their physical health.

Following requests by many children well-being support groups, the Education Ministry is currently focused on introducing a range of educational reforms. One of the key reforms is to reduce the number of examinations, introduction of new subjects such as artificial intelligence, and promotion of vocational education into the school curriculum.

Editorial note :  within Sri Lankan society this is the most tabooed question..

Just exactly how much does Sri Lanka got benefited through this government sponsored education system ? Because if someone is bold enough to look into it’s actual impact of this government financed university system where only an absolute minority get the opportunity to get into the University. Where an absolute majority get left behind.

But has it benefited the country ? the unfortunate reality is it hasn’t. In fact as of present date, all of Sri Lanka’s miss fortunes they all can be traced back to this government financed higher education system.

In the most simplest context what has actually led to the deep root cause of Tamil separatist movement arm struggle to Sri Lankan’s youth uprising against the government in the late 1980’s itself all due to the lack of education and employment opportunities. Because government only catered a for very hand full number of people within the society.

So the primary role of Ministry of Higher Education should be and must be is to regulate Higher Education system where it set the standards on just how much can private education providers can charge from students for Undertaking certain education program to level up the skills to meet the demands future labor force to attain future employment.