(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Sri Lankan President Sirisena Maithripala has said that according to his proposal the government has decided not to hold Grade 5 Scholarship exam in the future.
Addressing a ceremony to mark the vesting of the newly built “Maithri Shilpa Kala Mandapaya” to the children of Royal College Polonnaruwa Monday(25), the President said his decision was taken considering the stress the children have to undergo due to the scholarship examination.
The President noted that the scholarship examination started with the intention of providing poor children with the opportunity to study in a school with resources and give them an allowance, but today it is a competition to enter a popular school.
He pointed out that according to statistics most of the students qualified to enter state universities are not grade 5 scholarship recipients and therefore, there is a problem with the scholarship examination.
The President also pointed out that what should be done is not a competition to enter into popular schools but to provide all schools in the island with resources to develop them physically and qualitatively and the ministers and the people’s representatives of the respective areas should take the responsibility .
The 5000-seat Maithri Shilpa Kala Mandapaya has been built under the Pibidemu Polonnaruwa program at a cost of Rs. 140 million.
Speaking further on the occasion, the President said that as a past pupil of Royal College, he has fulfilled all the obligations to the school. The President pointed out that it is the responsibility of the future generation to continue managing and maintaining them.
Governor of the Central Province Sarath Ekanayake, Parliamentarian Mohan Lal Grero, Polonnaruwa Mayor Chanaka Sidath Ranasinghe, Polonnaruwa District Secretary Panduka Abeywardena, Principal Ravialal Wijewansa, teachers, parents and past pupils were also present at the occasion.
