Past pupils don’t want their quota reduced

By Isuri Kaviratne

The guidelines given by the Court

The one km distance rule to be abolished and replaced by a admission criterion based on Municipal Council, Urban Council or Pradeshiya Sabha areas.
Schools to give preference to children whose parents are from the armed forces, police and government service.
Children to be interviewed and given up to 50% marks for their ability and the remaining 50% to be added on if siblings had or are attending the same school.
The board selecting students to comprise two past pupils of the school, a member from the School Development Board other than a member of the staff ,the Principal or a representative who is not involved in active politics, Zonal Director of Education or his/her representative, a representative from the Education Ministry. The decision of the board would be final.
When admitting students to Religious Schools guidelines issued in 1960 to be followed and overseen by the Secretary to the President.

Reacting to a set of guidelines issued by the Supreme Court earlier this week, regarding the temporary circular for 2008 Year 1 admissions to schools, a past pupils’ umbrella organisation, the Joint Committee of the Past Pupils Association (JCPPA) hopes to present to the Chief Justice a mechanism that will not reduce the quota for children of past pupils, a member of the Association said.

Dr. Aruna Rabel, said they were responding to an opportunity given to them to submit proposals regarding the temporary circular.
The lawyers for JCPPA are in the process of making suggestions and they will be handed over to the Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, on Wednesday, Mr. Rabel said.

Applications for Grade 1 admissions would be called for at the beginning of August

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court issued guidelines to be followed for year one admissions for next year and no mention had been made regarding the quota for children of past pupils.

“We are proposing that the contribution by the past pupils to the schools be recognized,” Mr Rabel said.Under the earlier circular for year one admissions, children of past pupils were allocated a quota of 25 per cent.

He added that due to the time constraints set by the Chief Justice, the proposals they hope to present won’t cover all the issues they wanted to discuss and those would be dealt with subsequently when the permanent circular for year one admissions is prepared. The current temporary circular will be valid only for the 2008 admissions.

“We agree with the Court decision to abolish the area restrictions and appoint a committee comprising a cross section of society to select the students,” Mr. Rabel said. However he said he believed that the Principal as the head of the institution should have a say in the selection of students for Year One.

He also said that the association welcomed the move to give preference to children of the armed forces and government servants.“Government servants including teachers who are transferred from place to place according to the needs of the people should also be given preference ,” Mr. Rabel said.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Susil Premjayantha said applications for Grade 1 admissions would be called for at the beginning of August and interviews would be held by the end of the month after the Court gives a verdict on Wednesday regarding the proceedings on the temporary circular.

The proposals forwarded by the National Education Commission to amend the Grade 1 circular had been too vast for a decision to be made within a short time period and the Chief Justice had called for a temporary circular for 2008 leaving enough time to make the long-term circular.

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