Sad plight of displaced GCE AL students: No exam, no uni

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Over 100 students from IDP camps who sat for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examinations in 2009 have not received their results, claimed Chairman of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union- Joseph Stalin. He added that other students who sat the examination received their results in 2009 November and are already applying to universities.
“These students were not able to register in time for their ALs because they had to move around much during the final phase of the war. But they were given the chance to sit for the examination and were allowed to use their national identity card numbers instead of index numbers,” Stalin said. “However, they still have not got their results almost four months after the results of the scheduled examinations were announced. While other students are applying to universities these students are awaiting results.”
Stalin claimed that the Ceylon Teachers’ Union informed the Department of Examinations about these students but the officials’ response to the matter has been lukewarm.
“This is a violation of their rights and although officials claim that they will resolve this issue as soon as possible, it maybe too late for these students to apply for university or re-sit the 2010 examination.”