The
Examinations Department will hold a separate exam for
tsunami affected GCE Advanced Level candidates in June this
year and the exam for other candidates will be held as
planned from April 20 to May 17.
According to available data nearly 3,500 AL candidates who
have applied to sit for this year's exam have been affected
in the tidal waves, the Education Ministry said.
This decision to hold a fresh exam for affected students in
the Northern, Eastern and Southern coastal belt was taken at
a meeting chaired by Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Tara
De Mel at the Examinations Department yesterday morning.
"We expect to release the results of both exams by August
end so as not to cause any delays in the next year's
university admissions," Examinations Department sources said
adding that only some AL students applied to sit for this
year's exam are reported to have been affected in the
disaster.
Over 196,000 school and 48,500 private candidates have
applied to sit for the 2005 AL exam. Over
170 schools in the coastal belt from North to South were
completely destroyed by
the tidal waves. The Education Ministry estimates that about
25 AL schools were be among them. Data of AL candidates in
the affected areas will be collected through principals,
zonal education directors and provincial secretaries to plan
the fresh exam.
To be eligible to sit for the delayed exam students must
prove their case by submitting a letter certified by the
Grama Niladari of their area through the school principal.
This certificate should be endorsed by the Provincial
Secretary.
A meeting of Zonal Education Directors have been called at
the Examinations Department on January 28 to discuss
allocation of schools for AL exam centres where information
of damaged or destroyed schools is expected to emerge.
A total of about 1800 schools are being used to conduct the
AL exam. Details of affected AL candidates will be first
discussed at this meeting. Arrangements have also been made
to supply a new set of text books and study notes to the
affected students, the Ministry said.
