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Parents seek court remedy for scholarship exam paper leak tangle
View(s):By Nathara Abeywickrema
The government’s decision to not repeat the Grade 5 scholarship examination has sparked outrage, with many parents claiming that the exam’s integrity has been compromised, potentially jeopardising the future of thousands of students.
The Grade Five Scholarship Examination in Sri Lanka is a highly competitive test that opens doors to leading schools and scholarships. The recent leak of the first paper has raised concerns among parents about the exam’s fairness, leading a group of them to file a fundamental rights (FR) petition demanding that the exam be held again.
Amith Jayasundara
“We were horrified to learn about the leaks, and the government’s decision not to re-conduct the exam. Our children have worked tirelessly for months, and discovering that some had access to the questions in advance is a significant blow. It is utterly unfair,” said Jagath Bandara, a parent, who is part of the group filing the petition.
He acknowledged that the situation puts undue pressure on students, but upon closer reflection, they emphasised the unfairness.
“While some students had the advantage of accessing the leaked paper and could easily write the answers in a few minutes, others completed the exam without any such benefit. This is the main reason we are advocating for a re-conduct, as the first paper of the exam is entirely based on IQ and time management,” he explained.
Parents have voiced concerns that the seven-member committee is biased and lacked transparency, noting that the government did not even disclose the members’ identities.
Mr. Bandara explained that if two students, one who struggled with the leaked questions and another who had the knowledge to answer them, are treated equally, it creates an imbalance. The student without expertise in those specific questions but who excelled in the rest of the paper is unfairly left at a disadvantage, always one step behind, he said.
He also noted that the committee’s investigation included every official involved in the question-setting process. The director of planning at the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Maharagama was present for 19 out of the 20 sessions during the paper-making process, raising doubts about whether he was also part of the investigation sessions. This has cast further suspicion on the transparency of the inquiry.
Most parents, he claimed, are supporting their call for the examination to be annulled and re-conducted as outlined in the petition, arguing that this is the only way to ensure a level playing field for all students.
Jagath Bandara. Pix by Eshan Fernando
Dhananjaya Kadurugoda, a parent of a student who sat for the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, said: “My child has taken the scholarship exam entirely of his own accord, without any influence from me. As such, there is no need for me to pressure him regarding a potential re-conduct of the exam. Any decision to sit for it again will be according to his own will, and I will fully respect his choice.”
In response to the growing demand for a re-examination, Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara, acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
“We understand the frustration and disappointment that many parents and students are feeling. However, conducting the exam again is a massive logistical challenge. We have evaluated all options to address the situation fairly, but re-conducting the exam may not be the most practical solution,” he said. Mr Jayasundara emphasised that the Department of Examinations would ensure that investigations into the leak are thorough and that those responsible are held accountable.
He said that the decision not to re-conduct the examination was made after carefully considering all aspects. “The fundamental rights petition filed by the parents is scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, and we are fully preparing to present strong justifications to support our position.’’
He explained that there are many requests not to re-hold the exam, as it would put undue pressure on children. The decision to award free marks to ensure fairness, appears to be the best solution. Mr. Jayasundara said that ‘semi-automated item generation program,” designed to reduce human involvement in the exam process, is being developed and will be implemented in 2026, beginning with the GCE Ordinary Level Examination.
Police media spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said the investigation is not complete. So far, it has been revealed that three questions from the first paper were leaked before the exam, even though the arrested suspect, director general (planning) of the NIE had shared seven questions with a tuition master, who had included all of them in a model paper for his students.
However, Mr Thalduwa noted that, so far, only three questions had been determined to resemble the model paper. He assured appropriate punishment under the law to maintain public trust in the integrity of national examinations.
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