Private Tutors To Be Axed

Sunday, September 02, 2012

By Indika Sri Aravinda

The Examinations Commissioner yesterday said that he would take steps to stop private tuition classes being held in the country within two years.
“There is nothing wrong with the papers that we have produced. All the issues are created by those who conduct private tuition classes,” Examinations Commissioner W. M. Pushpakumara said.
“All the questions in this year’s paper are strictly from the school curriculum, and those who conduct tuition classes are creating issues because subject matter outside the syllabus – which they teach – has not been included in this year’s papers,” he said.
He added that 22 complaints have been received by the Department over irregularities with the Year-5 scholarship exam, and have been forwarded to the Criminal Investigations Department.
The results of the exam will not be released till the investigations are over, he added.
Pushpakumara said that the examinations department is the only body which can stop tuition classes, and necessary steps would be taken to include parents in an effort to stop all tuition classes over the next two years. Speaking on the matter of the disputed Z-scored of the Advanced Level examinations, he stated that the responsibility lies fully with the University Grants Commission (UGC), as the formula was created solely by the UGC. “W e are focused on the outcome of the ongoing legal developments,” he added.