Scrap Z-score system, provide more
higher education opportunities - Ranil

January 18, 2012, 10:39 pm , The Island.

by Zacki Jabbar

Opposition Leader and former Education Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, during an interaction with university students in Colombo yesterday, said that the Z-score system should be scrapped, because it had caused a great deal of confusion and heartburn among children as well as parents.

He said that the youth should be provided with more higher education opportunities, so that they need not pin all their hopes on Z-scores as a passport to their future.

The recent mess-up of the 2011 Advanced Level Examination results had demoralized the students immensely, Wickremesinghe said adding that the UNP had already called for a Parliamentary Select Committee to probe the confusion.

There had to be a thorough appraisal of the methods adopted by the Department of Examinations if the so-called ‘technical issues; were not to be repeated, the Opposition leader observed.

Wickremesinghe said that education was of national importance and it was the duty of all regardless of political affiliations to jointly evolve a workable system with ample opportunities for  those who wanted to pursue higher studies.

The UNP earlier wrote to Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne requesting him to ask the Speaker to re-summon Parliament on Jan. 14, 2012, ahead of the scheduled date of Jan. 17,to debate the results mess-up.

Though technical issues had been blamed for the errors, it was clear that the urgency with which the results were released had led to the mess. Since contradictory views were being expressed on a matter of utmost national importance, it was imperative that the highest legislative body in the country address the issue so that the mistakes could be rectified and repetitions avoided, the letter stated.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa on Monday informed Parliament that he was willing to grant a debate on the A/L results issue, if the party leaders were able to reach an agreement.