Students and parents from several districts who took part in the protest march blamed the UGC for the mess and muddle caused by the Z-scores. They also handed over a letter to the UGC demanding that the crisis be resolved once and for all. Several students vowed to carry out a fast onto death if the UGC did not resolve the crisis soon.

“We have worked hard for several months preparing for the A/L examination and what we are asking for is justice and fair play,” a student said and added that most of them were from middle and lower class families and could not afford to sit the exams over again.

“Our parents have given up most of their earnings for our education and we can’t ask them for more,” another student said.

Several parents said that some of their children had three As but had failed to make it to a university while some other students with Bs had done so.

“We have worked as hard as our children for their results and it is unfair when most of them are unable to make it to university even after obtaining good grades,” one parent said.

The students who met UGC Secretary Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said their talks had been successful. “He promised to look into our concerns and take appropriate action if there are any discrepancies,” one of the students said.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka