The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has officially ruled that the fundamental rights of 14 Tamil-medium students were violated during a national examination, according to a commission report released Jan. 20, 2026.
The ruling follows a formal complaint filed by Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, regarding a localized failure during the 2023 (2024) G.C.E. Ordinary Level Geography examination. On May 15, 2024, students at Al-Aman Muslim Maha Vidyalaya in Minuwangoda were forced to sit for the exam without being provided the Geography Paper I or the necessary maps.
In its final determination, the Commission concluded that the invigilator, R.K.P.V.S. Alphonso, acted with extreme negligence, thereby violating Article 12(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.
The investigation revealed a significant language barrier at the center. Alphonso admitted to the Commission that he could not speak or understand Tamil. Despite notifying the Minuwangoda Zonal Office of this limitation, he was told to rely on an assistant invigilator. However, the Commission found that Alphonso failed to properly inspect the question paper packets, leading to the 14 students missing out on a paper worth 50 marks.
“I accept the mistake that occurred through my oversight,” Alphonso stated during the inquiry, requesting that the Commission ensure justice for the affected children.
To rectify the disadvantage, the Department of Examinations has implemented a statistical scaling method. The committee recommended that the students’ marks for the missing Paper I be determined based on their performance in Geography Paper II.
The HRCSL has issued a series of directives to the Ministry of Education and the Commissioner General of Examinations:
• The current ban preventing Alphonso from participating in future exam invigilation duties must remain in effect.
• The Department must establish a formal mechanism to ensure exam staff are proficient in the language of the candidates they supervise.
• Instructional documents must be provided in the native languages of the candidates to prevent similar disconnects in the future.
The Ministry of Education is required to submit a full report on the implementation of these recommendations by Feb. 24, 2026. (NewsWire)