An 81-year-old candidate for the General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) examination has initiated a public discussion regarding the national education system, questioning the Ministry of Education over the quality of this year’s mathematics evaluation. The individual, who describes the assessment as “critically flawed,” has raised concerns about the structural integrity of the examination and its impact on student outcomes.
Nimal Silva, a resident of Kiriberiya, told reporters Monday that his decision to sit for the exam at his advanced age was not merely for personal achievement, but to gather evidence of a declining national education system.
“I have written a mathematics book myself, and I am telling the government: look at this paper. There is only one actual arithmetic question,” Silva said, referring to the 2025 examination. “The rest of the paper is full of errors. It is a paper designed to make children fail rather than to test their knowledge.”
The candidate has extended an invitation to the President, the Prime Minister, and high-ranking education officials to personally review and attempt the examination paper.
“I challenge the President, the Prime Minister, and other education officials to attempt the paper”
Moreover, he alleges that the current curriculum has abandoned the foundational pillars of mathematics: arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, which he argues were taught more effectively as distinct disciplines in previous decades.
Silva’s critique extends beyond the exam hall. He links the “deterioration” of mathematical logic in schools to broader social issues in Sri Lanka, including the rise in crime and drug use.
“When a child cannot do math, they lose the ability to think logically and find a steady job,” Silva said. “This is a crime against the country’s future.”
Moreover, he emphasized the importance of systemic reform, specifically calling for the abolition of the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam to prioritize ethics and character building over academic pressure for young children. He further advocated for stricter teacher recruitment standards and a strategic shift toward developing rural schools with modern laboratories and facilities to ensure equitable access to quality education.
Silva confirmed he is preparing a formal technical report detailing the specific errors he found in the 2025 mathematics paper, which he intends to submit to the Department of Examinations and the Prime Minister’s office. (NewsWire)