A maximum of fifty students for grade six classrooms: Education Ministry
View(s):A proposal to increase student numbers in classrooms to a maximum of 50 students in the grade six classes has been submitted as a solution to the ongoing crisis over increased cutoff marks for students who passed the grade five scholarship exam last year.
The move came after a string of protests over the decision to raise the cutoff marks to enrol students in popular schools based on grade five scholarship exam results.
Accordingly in some of the schools the cut off points had been raised by five digits resulting a large number of students failing to get admission.
To accommodate the students a proposal has been sent to the Presidential Secretariat recommending for student numbers in each class room be increased to 50, a senior Education Ministry official said.
However, if the plan is approved it would not be possible accommodate any more students to classes above grade seven. The Education Ministry had conveyed this request to the President’s office.
This would result in schools finding it difficult to accommodate students such as children of parents who are transferred.
The Education Ministry had delayed the deadline of admission of students who passed the scholarship exam by one month due to the protests.
Parents and teacher unions held a strong protest near the President’s office on Monday. Some of the parents too had demanded for the number of students admitted should be increased.
All 373 national schools had been informed about the proposals.
The move to increase student numbers to 50 in a classroom was contrary to plans of the former Government to limit student numbers in classrooms due to difficulties faced by teachers.
However, the current Government had been gradually increasing the student numbers in classrooms.