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LC Principal rescinds re-correction, awaits Legal Ed. Council approval
View(s):New student registration suspended pending CID investigations into alleged malpractices in the LC entrance exam
By Nadia Fazlulhaq
The Law College (LC) Principal has withdrawn his request for re-correction of the controversial 2012 LC entrance exam papers, until the Council of Legal Education gives its approval, Examinations Commissioner W.M.N. Pushpakumara said.
The controversy surrounding the LC entrance examination deepens with the Exams Dept and the LC still undecided on future action.
On Wednesday (9), Bodu Bala Sena representatives and LC Entrance Students Union met Mr Pushpakumara over claims that the paper was manipulated.
Following the meeting, the Exams Commissioner issued a statement that the department is willing to re-evaluate the 2013 LC entrance question paper, if an official request is made by the Sri Lanka Law College management.
The statement stated that the examination was held by the department at the request of LC, and the results given to the Principal on December 12, 2012.
LC Principal Dr W.D. Rodrigo told the Sunday Times on the same day (9), he requested the Examinations Commissioner to re-scrutinise the answer papers of the 2012 LC entrance examination.
But the Examinations Commissioner later rescinded his initial request for re-correction, because, on Thursday (10) the LC Principal had requested in writing, not to commence re-correction, without official approval from the Incorporated Council of Legal Education.
Meanwhile, student registration for this year has been postponed by a week, according to Dr. Rodrigo.
“New entrance will be delayed due to ongoing investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) whether a‘model paper similar to that issued by the Dept, was leaked by an institute in Wellawatte,” he said.
A group of 800 students who failed to gain entrance to LC, had formed the Law Entrance Students’s Union. They alleged that the Tamil medium paper was leaked from a private institute in Wellawatte, and called for the CID to conduct a probe.
Union President Ramzi Bajja said that, out of 705 Tamil medium students who sat for the exam, 133 students qualified to enter LC, while only 154 Sinhala medium students qualified from a total of 6,295 students.
“The tutor at the said institute in Wellawatte had assured that 100 students will enter LC, and it happened with the Tamil medium obtaining the highest rankings. There is an issue when it comes to transparency, as the paper is first set in English by a qualified panel. The problem is with the translators at the Examinations Dept,” he said.
The union also claimed that, in 2012, 78 Muslim students qualified from 309 candidates passed, while in 2008, only 14 students qualified out of 242 passed, and most of them were from the Tamil medium.
“Since the end of the conflict in 2009, interest among Tamil students to study law has increased. Hence, this could be the reason that enrolment levels have hiked,” said Justice Minister Hakeem, in a special statement to Parliament.
With regard to allegations about an increase in the intake of Muslim students, he said that the Examination Dept and the Council of Legal Education conducts the examination, and there is no possibility for him to interfere in the intake.
Meanwhile, the JVP, this week called for a debate in Parliament over the LC entrance examination, stating that this issue can result in racial tensions, and hence, needs to be discussed in a transparent manner.
Police Spokesman, SSP Preshantha Jayakody said the police received about 10 complaints alleging that the paper was leaked and the results manipulated, which will be investigated.
The LC entrance examination is a highly competitive examination, with about 7,000 candidates sitting annually.
Last year, the age limit of 35 years to sit for the examinations was removed, allowing more candidates to sit for the examination.
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