No aptitude tests for school admissions: Minister

Amidst concerns of parents on evaluating children on their intelligence and aptitude when seeking admission to schools, the Education Ministry declared no mechanism had yet been formulated for use in evaluating the child.

Education Minister Susil Premjayantha said the Ministry was yet to receive instructions from the Presidential Secretariat on evaluating children’s intelligence and aptitude, though applications for Grade 1 will be called from August 15 onwards as ordered by the Supreme Court.

“All 9,000 Government schools will be following the new system when admitting children to schools though semi-government and private schools are free to choose whatever scheme they prefer,” the Minister said.

Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service Union secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said it was difficult to gauge a child’s intelligence and aptitude at the age of 4½ without imparting a properly guided primary education to the child.