Petition filed in court over next month’s GCE A/L exam

January 28, 2022 at 4:00 PM

A petition has been filed calling for the 2021 GCE Advanced Level Examination to be postponed. 

The petition has been filed at the Court of Appeal by public interest activist Nagananda Kodithuwakku calling for the Advanced Level examination to be postponed by 20 weeks. 

The 2021 Advanced Level Examination is due to begin on the 7th of February 2022. The examination was postponed on two previous occasions as well due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Commenting on the petition, Kodithuwakku said he had filed the petition as it was unfair for the children to hold the examination. 

He said the Education Minister and the Secretary to the Ministry had been informed to address the learning loss suffered by the school children last year alone.

The children are unable to retain what they study, which has led to a 90% learning loss last year alone, he revealed. 

Stating that they had ignored the request to postpone the examination, Kodithuwakku said the Minister had also failed to hold a discussion on the matter as promised to him. 

Nagananda Kodithuwakku further said that the Director-General of the Education Ministry has also reported several students sending medical certificates on medicines obtained due to examination stress.

He added that several doctors have also sent such medical reports to him claiming that students are facing severe stress due to the upcoming examination.  

Pointing out that he had no choice but to reach out to the judiciary, Kodithuwakku said the case will be taken up for hearing by next Monday or Tuesday. (NewsWire)