Education Minister explains delay in issuing interim circular on school admissions

The interim circular on the admission of children was issued late because the Ministry was working to resolve multiple issues while formulating the new policy, with the aim of minimising pressure on the children, Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said.

The Minister made these remarks during a discussion with a group of protesters outside the Education Ministry. She said the draft circular had been referred for consultation to a sub-committee comprising representatives from all parties in Parliament and discussions were also held with trade unions before finalising the policy.

“We need to implement this policy to improve the quality of education. As a government, we cannot take responsibility for what happened in the past, but we must correct those issues,” Dr. Amarasuriya said.

She explained that the final decision was based on admitting children only to schools with available vacancies.

“No admissions will be made to schools without vacancies. That is the only policy agreed upon following discussions in Parliament. I have already requested the list of schools that have vacancies,” she said.

Highlighting overcrowding as a serious concern, the Minister noted that while the maximum capacity of a classroom is 45 students, some schools had nearly 60 students in a class, making it difficult for teachers to give adequate attention to each child.

She further pointed out that many admissions had been influenced by the reputation of the schools rather than the quality of education.

“Most students leave after completing their Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations. This is something we need to change in order to protect the best interests of the children,” the Minister added.

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