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Leak-marred Grade 5 scholarship exam won’t be cancelled; digitalisation coming to minimise fraud
View(s):By Nathara Abeywickrema
No compelling reasons have emerged to cancel the grade five scholarship examination or hold back the results, following question leaks, Examinations Commissioner General Amith Jayasundara said.
He said the report of the seven-member committee had been handed over to the Education Ministry Secretary for a decision by the Ministry.
Amith Jayasundara
Describing the leak as a violation of the trust placed in officials rather than a flaw within the department itself, Mr. Jayasundara acknowledged similar incidents could not be prevented if responsible officials neglect their duties. However, he agreed that it was his responsibility to ensure trustworthy officials were hired to handle the task with confidentiality. He said the authorities would be more vigilant from now onwards.
The examination chief also revealed that the department was exploring ways to digitalise the examination process, minimising human intervention.
He said software, known as the “Semi-automated Item Generation Programme,” was being developed to create question papers without human involvement. He said this was one way of eliminating the possibility of leaks. The initiative would first be introduced for the Ordinary Level Examination and gradually expanded to the Advanced Level and Grade 5 Scholarship Examinations.
Dhananjaya Kadurugoda
The software will be fed the curriculum and learning outcomes, allowing it to generate questions that assess various cognitive standards, Mr. Jayasundara said. He expressed hope that the department would be able to implement the system-wide transformation within the next two years.
The department would also enhance security surrounding examination processes to ensure tighter control and confidentiality.
The evaluation of Grade 5 scholarship exam answer scripts has been temporarily suspended following a directive from the President.
Police Media Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had been collecting statements from parents who filed complaints.
He said the CID would gather more evidence to file action and compile a report for the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission.
According to DIG Thalduwa, the investigation was being expedited as a decision had to be taken regarding the paper-marking process.
He said the investigations so far had revealed that only three questions had been leaked and the two suspects had been detained by the CID for questioning.
Nivantha Wijesuriya
He calls for the review of the relevant laws to impose stricter punishment and tighter security measures to prevent leaks.
As these breaches continue to undermine the credibility of the examination system, experts have pointed out outdated punitive measures are ineffective.
“Strengthening the legal framework with stricter consequences for offenders is crucial to ensuring the integrity of public examinations,” DIG Thalduwa said, noting that under the 1968 Public Examinations Act, only meagre punishment was meted out to offenders.
The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has demanded a full restructuring of the Examination Department to combat exam-related fraud.
Citing a 2024 report, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin claimed as many as 473 department employees, including senior officials, have been allegedly involved in exam fraud and barred from exam duties, prompting calls for an overhaul.
Expressing grave concern over regular leaks of exam questions, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe called for stricter measures to ensure the examination processes were secure and transparent.
“Without accountability and reform, we risk losing public trust and compromising the quality of education in our country,” he said.
Senior Psychological Counsellor Esharma Kariyakarawana said the crisis was fundamentally an ethical dilemma that had persisted over time, and its impact on students could be profound and multifaceted.
“The uncertainty surrounding the integrity of their exam results can lead to increased anxiety and stress among students who have worked hard to prepare for this critical assessment. Many young learners, often just ten years old, may not fully understand the implications of the leaks but are likely to feel the weight of the situation nonetheless,” she said.
Explaining the psychological impact on a Grade 5 student, Ms. Kariyakarawana noted that this disruption could create a sense of unfairness and confusion, especially for those who prepared diligently.
“If students are aware that certain questions may not reflect their true abilities due to the leaks, they may feel discouraged and question the validity of their efforts. This can erode their confidence and lead to feelings of helplessness, which may affect their overall motivation toward future academic endeavours,” she said.
Dhananjaya Kadurugoda, a parent and mathematics teacher from Dambulla, said he did not feel the need to pressure his son into retaking the exam if it was rescheduled. He explained that his son received ample academic support at home, as both parents were teachers, and they were comfortable with him attending a village school.
However, Mr. Kadurugoda said that as a parent, he would support the call for a leak-free examination process for the sake of children who look forward to the Grade 5 examinations as a passage for higher education, which their schools do not offer.
Nivantha Wijesuriya, a parent from Panadura, mentioned that his son, a student at Sri Sumangala College, was among the top scorers at the school, but he was reluctant to sit the exam again.
He was among those who joined the recent protest outside the department, calling for the exam to be re-held. He said that, regardless of his child’s results, he would not make him sit for the exam again just because the officials had mishandled its organisation.
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