The future is bleak for nearly 130,000 students who sat the 2009 Ordinary Level examination through school as they are forced to go home with a disastrous "certificate", an analysis shows.
Nearly half (47% or 129,062) of the 272,000 school students who sat the examination will not be able to gain entry to the Advanced Level classes in government schools unless they sit the exam again, points out Examinations Commissioner-General Anura Edirisinghe. The minimum requirement to pursue any AL course is six passes including three credits. A pass in mathematics is mandatory.
As such, only 142,938 (53%) will be able to continue their education at a government school, says Mr. Edirisinghe, explaining that those with dismal results may not even be able to get a small job. The 2009 performance is poorer than the previous year (2008), when 55% qualified to do their ALs.
The hackneyed saying, "Failures are the pillars of success", will not be any consolation to the students whose futures have been shattered at the youthful age of 16-17 years, the Sunday Times understands, for they have no skill and no OL certificate even to apply for a simple job.
Even among those who have passed the examination, 131,735 students (48%), have just six passes including mathematics and the first language (either Sinhala or Tamil), Mr. Edirisinghe says.
Some shocking data
about 2009 OL results
- Mathematics - only 51% have passed. This is the same as in 2008.
- Science - fewer than half, only 45%, have passed. This is a further drop from 2008 which recorded 47% .
- Sinhala (a first language or mother tongue) -- 20% have failed, going one notch down when compared to 2008 which had 19%.
- Tamil (a first language or mother tongue) - 25% have failed, the same as in 2008
- 16,500 students have passed just one subject and failed the other eight; 16,800 just two and failed seven; 18,000 just three and failed six; 20,300 just four and failed five; 22,800 just five and failed four.
- 19,000 students have failed all nine subjects whereas in 2008 the figure stood at 16,000
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