A/L paper marking boycott continues despite assurance by Exams Chief

By Isuri Kaviratne

The boycotting of Advanced Level exam paper marking would continue despite efforts by the Examinations Commissioner General to get the marking process to continue after the Supreme Court issued an order that no intimidation or threats should be levelled against those involved in the answer script marking .

The Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe told The Sunday Times that union members would continue to keep away from the marking process until their salary anomaly was resolved.

“The court order says not to sabotage paper marking by threatening the teachers who are doing the paper marking. We didn’t do any such thing before and we are not doing it now either,” Mr. Jayasinghe said.

He warned the students who sat for the A/L examination and their parents that the teachers were not prepared to take the responsibility for the consequences if the teachers were forced to do the paper marking.

“It’s not like any other job. Admission to universities is decided on the marking at the A/L examination. No one can force the teachers mark the papers and expect them to do it properly,” he said.

“We will not stop the strike until the circular is released. We don’t think the teachers would still go for paper marking as we still have not got any acceptable reply” he said.

However, Examinations chief Anura Edirisinghe issued a media release requesting the members of teachers’ unions which are boycotting the paper marking to return as paper marking should resume on September 13 in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment.