Past Pupils Associations oppose NEC circular on admissions

The proposal to separate the primary section from National Schools is likely to be included in the new Grade One Admission Circular which will be handed over to the President next week. The Commissioner General of the National Education Commission (NEC) Prof. A.V. Suraweera said that it had been the idea of the NEC since 2003 or earlier, to separate the primary section of the National Schools from the rest.

“But the proposals for the circular are being made according to the mandate given by the Supreme Court and only the NEC has the power to make the proposals”, Prof. Suraweera said adding that the NEC is in the process of finalising the proposals at the moment. “The NEC is not responsible for making the circular. So, whether there is enough time to call for applications to continue with the admissions for National Schools is not really our concern. Nevertheless, we think that there is enough time”, he added.

Meanwhile, Aruna Rabel, the Vice President of Ananda College Old Boys’ Association said that Government does not have sufficient funds to run more primary schools, though they suggest having separate primary schools. “We are against separating primary sections from National Schools and bringing National Schools under the purview of Provincial Councils”, he said.

Rabel added that the Joint Council of Past Pupils Associations (JCPPA) were finalising a set of proposals which they have drawn up regarding the Grade One Admission Circular and would be handing it over to the President next week. He added that the JCPPA had contacted educationists and well-known past principals in making the proposals.

Udaya Kumara, Secretary of the Royal College Union said that though proposals can be made to separate primary section from national Schools, the government doesn’t have enough money to run more schools than there are at present. “It’s pointless to separate the primary section from National Schools as a majority of the repairs of these schools are undertaken by the parents of the Grade 1 students” he said, adding that as past pupils, it’s fair to ask for a higher share of quota in the Grade 1 admissions.

“The old boys of the Royal College run the college sports complex and hostel. Children of ‘old boys’ are not in the hostel but, we spent Rs. 50,000,000/- to build it” he said. Kumara added that more than the government, the old boys were the force behind developing the infrastructure of the college”.

He added that it was traditional thing that comes from father to son. The quota should remain intact or be increased”, Kumara said.
Inoka Hettiarachchi, Joint Secretary of Vishakhsa Vidyalaya’s Past Pupils’ Association confirmed that it had been her experience that the school’s past pupils as parents of Grade 1 students did much more for Grade 1 students than others. She called for an increase in quota of up to at least 40%-50 % of the intake for past pupils.

“The foundation for the children’s future is built during primary education”, she said. She added that the status of religious education too should remain in schools. “Parents send their children to Vishakha Vidyalaya to raise them in a Buddhist background from the beginning” she said. She said the same went for parents who send their children to Christian or Hindu schools. The aim is to bring them up in a particular environment or the background”.

Hettiarachchi told the Sunday Times that the JCPPA was against scrapping the religious aspect from schools. However Prof. Suraweera of the NEC said some of the proposals submitted by the JCPPA differed fromthose proposed by the NEC. He stressed that no other party had any authority to make proposals regarding the Grade One Admission Circular.