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Bane or boon, Govt. ban on pre-A/L ‘coaching’
A Government ban on tuition classes before the Advanced Level (AL) exam scheduled to begin next week, begs the futility of the exercise and the need to look inwards at our education system, itself.
Last week, the Exams Dept imposed a ban on all tuition classes to be effective from July 22. Gazette notification no. 1816 of August 21, 2016, issued by the Exams Dept stated tuition classes, seminars and workshops to coach students for the forthcoming AL next week, must cease until the exams are over.
Under the notification, those found violating the directive will be tried in a court of law under Act no. 25 sec. 22 of 1968, and if found guilty, a fine not exceeding Rs 2,000 and a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year will be imposed.
Educationist Jazeema Ismail said it is time to reflect what beseeches our education system, instead of adopting haphazard methods to curb its conduct.
While agreeing the ban gives more time and space for children before the exams, there is a need to address the root cause of the issue. For this, she said, there is a need to revisit our teaching practices and evaluate methods of teaching and learning in schools. “We should examine whether something is amiss in the teaching methodology or the curriculum itself. We should not only address the symptoms, but also the root of the cause” she said.
Ms. Ismail said, adopting better teaching and learning methods in schools will address the issue. She stressed the need to have special focus on coaching students in answering question papers by familiarising, analysing and reflecting the questions. “If these are followed, tuition classes will die a natural death,” she said.
Commissioner General (CG) of Exams, W.M.N.J. Pushpakumara said the ban comes in the wake of several requests from both the parents and A/L students.
The parents had complained to the Dept, requesting the ban, as they felt that last minute preparations stressed them out and could affect their performance at the exams. “We got a number of phone-requests from parents to stop tuition classes,” he said.
While the prerogative to send children for tuition classes at the last minute is rests solely with the parents, critics said the Government is unable to control the leaking of question papers before the exams.
The ban was imposed in 2013 by then Minister Banndula Gunewardena, during the previous government, to stop the leak of question papers. In 2012, several question papers leaked at tuition centres, prompting the government to impose the ban.
Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said the ban is discriminatory, as the rich will have individual classes for their children. “They will bring down the tutor to their homes and coach them. Only the poor students suffer,” he said. He said the Government, unable to weed corruption, is resorting to this ruse. “We condemn this.”
Mr. Pushpakumara however, maintained that the leaking of the question papers is not related to the ban. “Leaking is another problem and we have addressed it,” he said.
He said CCTV cameras have been installed at the government printers and body-checks are conducted, along with 24-hour surveillance by the police during printing of exam papers.
The Education Ministry disowned any part in the ban, saying it is at the sole discretion of the Exams Dept. Education Ministry Secretary W.M. Bandusena said it is an administrative decision of the Exams Dept to ensure the conducting of exams in an environment within the legal framework. “We are not involved. The CG of Exams is the implementing agent and is empowered by the Act,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer, Ms Tina Solomons opined it is subjective that students get stressed when they prepare for exams up until the eleventh hour. “Sri Lanka’s students are used to the tuition culture and some are attuned to last minute cramming, and the ban may be discriminatory to them,” she said. “A study has to be done to draw any conclusions,” she opined.
The Exams Dept has requested the public to inform of any institutions conducting tuition classes for AL students during the banned period. Mr Pushpakumara said that, while students having individual classes cannot be monitored, mass scale coaching will not allowed. “We are trying to maintain equality. We are listening to the candidates,” he said.