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Pass in O/L Maths is compulsory to follow A/L classes from 2017
View(s):Students who complete their Degrees and enter the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, are sometimes entrusted with the control of finances in State institutions. Hence, Maths is essential to them
A Pass in Maths at the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) will be compulsory to follow GCE Advanced Level (A/L) classes, with effect from 2017, the Education Ministry has decided.
Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told Education Times accordingly, even students in the Arts stream will be required to obtain at least a simple pass in Maths, in contrast to the current system where Maths is exempted to enter certain streams.
However, students of the Arts stream will have the option of obtaining a pass in Maths while following A/L classes, and need not have a pass in Maths to follow A/L classes.
Earlier, former Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena permitted students of the Arts stream to follow A/L classes without a pass in Maths at the GCE O/L. Minister Kariyawasam said that Maths is a subject essential to students who even follow the Arts stream.
“Students who complete their Degrees and enter the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, are sometimes entrusted with the control of finances in State institutions. Hence, Maths is essential to them,” he said.
He said that some of the students have already been admitted to A/L classes without passing Maths, but this new regulation will not apply to these students. ‘We do not want to put them in difficulty’, he added.
Minister Kariyawasam said that the former minister was making remarks to the effect that students already following A/L without Maths, will be affected by our decision. “That is incorrect. These students will not be affected,” he added.
He said Mr Gunawardena had lowered the standards of the GCE O/L Maths in order to pass more students.
“We will take steps to make this popular among students. We will recruit more teachers and give them special training in order to increase the number of students pass in Maths,” he said.
- Damith Wickremasekara