Trade Minister calls for inquiry into grade five scholarship exam cut off marks
View(s):Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardana has called on the Education Minister G. L. Peiris to conduct an impartial inquiry on the cut off marks for the grade five scholarship examinations from 2015 to date. The Minister questioned whether the cut off marks were decided in an arbitrary manner by the Education Ministry officials.
Minister Gunawardana said he had written to Prof. Peiris regarding the matter and hoped to inform the Cabinet regarding the issue soon.
This decision was taken after parents complained that the cut off marks for admission to popular schools had increased, thereby depriving a section of the students in the country from the opportunity of attending such popular schools.
Last year, Minister Gunawardana lodged a complaint with the CID seeking an inquiry into the matter, but no investigation was carried out.
He said there was no transparency in the methodology of categorising popular schools and deciding the cut off marks.