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Donations pave the way for Year 1 school admissions
By Sachitra Mahendra
Despite the Education Ministry issuing a circular that principals should refrain from accepting donations to admit students to Year 1 classes, many principals have ignored the circular to this effect pointing out that it was impractical to implement it.

The facilities fees and contributions to the school development fund are exempted from this circular. Many principals defended the move to accept donations pointing out that government funds are insufficient to run the schools satisfactorily.

Investigations by The Sunday Times revealed that children of past students and brothers/sisters of students currently studying at the school were given priority in admissions to Year 1, but if their parents agreed to make a donation they were given greater preference.

"As students would become eligible to enter the university by gaining more marks, children of past students of the school acquire more marks when they gain admission. If their parents have given any donation prior to their admission, his/her application is given priority over the others," a principal who did not wish to be identified told The Sunday Times.

The period the past student was a member in the old students' association and the period the student spent in the school are considered. Each year carries 2 marks.

Although parents submit appeals to say their children had not been admitted to a particular school, the school authorities have no power to look into the matter, the Principal of Isipatana College told The Sunday Times, adding that such appeals are forwarded to the Education Ministry.

"On the one hand it is impractical. We cannot add a single child to the list, unless one is removed from the list, in response to an objection." the Principal of Visakha Vidyalaya told The Sunday Times.

The provisional lists of Year I admissions were released on September 20 and displayed on the notice board of every school, with a 15-day period given for appeals to be considered.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to get tough on malpractices in Year I admissions, the Education Ministry of the Western Provincial Council said. "We will send a team of officers to investigate as soon as we are informed in writing of a malpractice in admissions," Charitha Ruberu, private secretary to WPC Education Minister Reginald Cooray, told The Sunday Times.

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