Thank you

‘Neither students nor teachers know their geometry’

Over 51 per cent crash in Science, 63 in English

None qualify for A/L in nine Colombo schools

Anura Edirisinghe

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Commissioner General of Examinations Anura Edirisinghe reveals that over 51 per cent of students have failed the GCE (O/L) this year. Over 5, 25, 000 candidates, including 2, 96, 358 school candidates, sat the examination and of them only 48. 7 per cent have qualified for the G. C. E. Advanced Level.

Mr. Edirisinghe said about 21, 813 candidates had failed to secure a single pass. Of them about 4128 were from Colombo district, 3,564 from the Central province, 3,404 from the Southern province, 2,668 from the Sabaragamuwa province, 2,277 form the Uva province, 2,056 from the North Central province, 2039 from the North Western province, 773 from the Eastern province and 704 from the Northern Province.

He said not a single student in nine schools in Colombo had qualified for the G. C. E. Advanced Level. The situation was similar in three schools in Homagama, three in Jayewardenepura, 12 schools in Galle, seven schools in Ambalangoda, 13 schools in Ratnapura educational zones and 40 Pirivena institutions countrywide.

Mr. Edirisnghe said it was unfortunate given the large amount of funds that the government expended on free education.

The school with the lowest performance at the G. C. E. O/ L Examination, 2006 is Thanbana Primary School in Dambagalla in Moneragala district. Others are respectively, Dodampahala Kanishta Vidyalaya in Dickwella, Palugollewa Vidyalaya in Anuradhapura, Amban Ganga Dakunu Ela Vidyalaya in Polonnaruwa and Midalana Kanishta Vidyalaya in Baduraliya, Matugama.

The Commissioner General said that English remained the most difficult subject for students.

About 258,975 students had sat the English language paper and of them 63. 18 per cent had failed. About 259,263 faced the Mathematics paper and of them 57. 37 per cent had failed, while 258,948 students sat for the Science paper and of them 51. 65 per cent had failed secure even a simple pass.

“Numerous facilities such as school text books, laboratories, equipments etc, are provided by the government for teaching these three subjects. The performance of children at the examination is appalling. The geometry question of the mathematics paper is compulsory. But, 90 per cent of students failed to answer that. The reason is that teachers, and eveneducational directors did not know their geometry. At present teachers who are passing out from the Colleges of Education are teaching Mathematics in most schools. They don’t know geometry. The Education Department should take action train teachers in geometry,” Mr. Edirisnghe said.

The Island learns that the Education Minister Susil Premajayantha has for a detailed report from the Education Department to be submitted to the Cabinet this week.