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Examiners demand Education Minister explain replacing A/L Economics Examiner
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Trade union activists protest against the new scheme to pay gratuity payment for pensioners, demanding that the government should scrap it. The proesters also highlighted that some of those who retired last year were still awaiting the gratuity payments. Pic by Indika Handuwala.
The controversy over alleged external interference with examiners setting question papers for GCE Advanced Level (A/L), deepened yesterday, with 39 of 50 Chief Examiners demanding that Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena explain how a Chief Examiner for the Economics paper was replaced.
The dispute has been sparked following the appointment of a new Chief Examiner for the GCE A/L Economics paper replacing the present incumbent. Two other senior examiners were also ignored for the post.
“The 39 Chief Examiners have threatened to withdraw their services in protest of the new appointment. The new person appointed is from the Management Faculty, instead of appointing from the Economics Faculty,” Ruhunu University Senior Lecturer Nandasiri Keebiyahetti who also signed the petition, told the Sunday Times.
Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena this week claimed in Parliament that a Committee of Experts had made the new appointment, but the examiners have demanded the minister identify the members of the Committee.
The 39 Chief Examiners responsible for preparing questions and the marking scheme for the A/L Economics paper, in a letter to the Examinations Commissioner, claimed that Minister Gunawardena, in 2012, attempted to suggest an answer to be considered for one of the A/L Economics questions, which was rejected by the examiners.
Mr Keebiyahetti warned that if the Education Minister fails to disclose on how the appointments were made, they would abstain from their duties.
In a related development, the Chief Examiner for the A/L Business Studies paper has also been removed from his post, but no replacement made to date.
Former Chief Examiner for the A/L Economics paper, Prof Danny Atapattu, told the Sunday Times that authorities want to make the question papers easier so that more students will pass.
Minister Gunawardena told the Sunday Times that the threat by the University lecturers to withdraw their services as Examiners was a ‘political conspiracy’.
“The Examinations Commissioner has the power to make replacements. Accordingly, he will exercise his powers and replace all the examiners who are not willing to cooperate,” he said.
“We will ensure that the students will not be affected. The students should not be worried,” he said.
He said that the Chief Examiner for Business Studies was not attached to a local university, as he was currently residing overseas, and therefore, had been removed from his position.
Minister Gunawardena said that they will consider taking legal action against the examiners, as they are bound to maintain secrecy about the members involved in examination of papers.