WPC withdraws new Grade 1 admission criterion on AG’s observations
View(s):The Western Provincial Council (WPC) has decided to withdraw a new Grade 1 admission criterion put into effect to select students for next year, after the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Dept reportedly observed that the circular was not in order. WPC Education Minister Ranjith Somawansa told the Education Times that considering the instructions from the Ministry of Education (MoE) which quoted the AG’s Dept observations, they have decided to withdraw the new guidelines for Grade 1 admissions.
‘However, we have hopes that the new criteria can be put into effect in the future and, therefore, will be meeting Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and MoE officials to discuss the matter,” he said. He said they were addressing an issue which concerns more than 1,350 schools in the WP. Under the new criteria introduced, if a house has been written to one child, his/her brothers/sisters cannot use the same address to apply for admission.
Mr Somawansa said they made the changes because it mainly affects the WP, and the guidelines set up for admission by the central government do not help the WP, where family members share the same house. Minister Kariyawasam said a special committee makes out these guidelines and, PCs cannot keep changing these guidelines and therefore, they intervened to stop the circular.
“Some of the students will be adversely affected if the WPC criteria were implemented, and the matter may have to be settled in courts,” he said.
Meanwhile, WPC Chief Minister Isura Devapriya said that, though his Council implemented the new criteria, the proposal did not have proper approval from the Council.
He said the Minister concerned had apparently got the support of the Governor to implement the new criteria. - Damith Wickremasekara