The National Education Commission (NEC), the body responsible for formulating national education policies, will soon forward to President Maithripala Sirisena a set of recommendations to minimise the rate of failures at the General Certificate of Education (GCE)- Ordinary Level (O/L) Maths Exam. The move follows the 50% failure rate in Maths at the GCE O/L [...]

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NEC recommendations to reduce O/L Maths failures to be presented to MS

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The National Education Commission (NEC), the body responsible for formulating national education policies, will soon forward to President Maithripala Sirisena a set of recommendations to minimise the rate of failures at the General Certificate of Education (GCE)- Ordinary Level (O/L) Maths Exam.

The move follows the 50% failure rate in Maths at the GCE O/L 2014 exam. According to the Examinations Dept, of the 577,220 students who sat the GCE O/L Exam last year, only 256,800 opted for Maths, a compulsory subject to pursue higher studies.

NEC Chairman, Prof Lakshman Jayatilake said that the recommended policies would include revamping the current study methods adopted in studying for exams. He said that, in the present system, students prepare for exams by doing past papers and memorising solutions, which, he concedes, is not the right method, as they are unable to attempt new questions. “They have to study the text books, to be able to solve any problem,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Education (NIE) which is responsible for designing the syllabus for all Grades in schools, said that the increased number of failures is due to the failure of the education system itself. The NIE blamed the teachers and the teaching process which lacks dedication. “Those days the teachers gave more attention to the weaker students and held classes after hours. But now, it is not happening. Everything is taught during tuition hours,” it added.

Furthermore, teachers themselves are not trained to deliver the syllabus properly. This is attributed this to the lack of proper teacher training, and the NIE’s inability to employ efficient teacher trainers due to lack of funds.

Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU)- General Secretary, Joseph Stalin commenting on the issue, said that the previous Education Minister, Bandula Gunewardena had failed to deliver on his promise to hold extra Maths classes in schools with over 20 failed students.

Ceylon Teachers Service Union (CTSU)- General Secretary, Mahinda Jayasinghe concedes that the problem centres around the mindset. He said that parents and teachers have inculcated into the students’ minds that Maths is a difficult subject. He also blamed the methodology used in teaching, and stressed the need for a change. “There are easy ways of teaching Maths,” he notes.

Meanwhile, a syllabus designed by a retired Maths Director from the Education Ministry, is gaining popularity among students. Its author Wijedasa Hewavitharana said that his books are designed for children who are weak in studies and take time to grasp the subjects. It is learnt that a pilot project conducted on a group of students who failed the Maths exam last year, has produced good results. “They have got up to 90% at the GCE O/L exams in 2014,” he said.

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