The controversy over the GCE A/L results further intensified yesterday with trade unions and others in the education sector urging a total review of the Z-score and Island and District rankings.

They said students, parents and unions were not prepared to accept the results that were released on Monday with some unions having complained to the Human Rights Commission and even threatening to take the matter to the Supreme Court to seek for justice.

They are demanding the immediate resignation of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane and Examinations Commissioner General Anura Edirisinghe saying the national education system had never before experienced a setback of this magnitude.

Several ministers and government MPs also expressed their anger and displeasure over the blunders and said those responsible should submit their resignation without embarrassing the government any further as it had now turned out to be a national issue.

Meanwhile, the People’s Movement for the Protection of Schools (PMPS) yesterday staged a protest opposite ‘Isurupaya’ at Battaramulla that the Z score and the Island and District rankings be suspended.

PMPS spokesman Aruna Dissanayaka said the education authorities must withdraw the controversial GCE A/L results and review, reassess and reissue the correct Z score and the Island and District rankings.

“The parents and students have no confidence at all on the Z score and Island and District rankings. Therefore, immediate steps must be taken to review the entire process and release the correct Z score and rankings. If they fail to do so we will launch an islandwide campaign and tell students and parents not to accept the results already released,” Mr. Dssanayaka said.

Ceylon Teachers Services Union President Mahinda Jayasinghe said his union had lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission and would file a petition in the Supreme Court if the issue was not resolved by January 5.

“We demand the resignation of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana and Examination scommissioner Anura Edirisighe because they have failed to release the results our members so painstakingly and carefully marked,” Mr. Jayasinghe said and added that the marked scripts had to be re-assessed and the correct an error-free Z score and Island and District rankings be issued.

Another protest organised by the Inter-university Student Federation (IUSF) was held outside the Fort Railway Station with the participation of hundreds of A/L students, their parents as well as university students.

The angry protesters threatened to continue their protests through out the island until the Education Ministry fulfilled their request for complete review of the results. “This is only the beginning of our fight to get the government to listen to us. They say they will not revise the A/L results. But if they don’t we will continue our trade union action until the results are thoroughly studied and verified. We cannot and will not accept these results,” IUSF Convener Sanjeewa Bandara said.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana was abroad and there was no responsible official at the Education Ministry or the Examinations Department to be contacted by the media.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka