Z-score out; new school-based system for uni admission
View(s):Minister says safeguards will be introduced to prevent abuse; union leaders sceptical.
The Government will introduce several safeguards to ensure that the new school-based scientific method is not misused in selecting students for state universities.
The new system will replaced the present district-based Z-Score system.
No students would be allowed to move from a high-grade school to low-grade school and sit the GCE Advanced Level examination so that he or she could have a better chance of entering a state university, Education Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.
According to a Cabinet proposal presented by Minister Alahapperuma, a committee of experts would be appointed to provide recommendations on introducing a school-based new scientific method to select students to state universities.
Under the existing Z-score system, students from schools in less privileged districts are given preference over districts that have better facilities in university admission.
However, Minister Alhapperuma argued that the current system was unfair to some of the students within the same district as they do not have the same facilities found in a bigger school in the same district.
“A school in the Colombo city and a school in a remote area in the same district cannot be treated in the same manner,” he explained.
Mr Alahapperuma said that to qualify for the less privileged school category in university admission, a student should study in such a school for more than four year.
He said the new system would come into force from the 2020 A/L examination.
However, reacting to the proposal, the Ceylon Teachers Services Union said it was difficult to grade schools and as a result the new scheme would run into problems.
Union leader Dhammika Alahapperuma said the system would not work effectively unless the disparity between schools were removed.
‘There are different grades of schools at national and provincial levels and, therefore, it would be a difficult task. Students will not be treated in a fair manner under this system,” he said.
(By Damith Wickremasekara)