The Education Ministry is set to restore the pre-Covid schedule by immediately starting Advanced Level classes for students who recently completed the Ordinary Level Examination. Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha announced this initiative during the launch of the National Institute of Education’s official internet radio channel (NIE Visual Radio) at Maharagama’s National Institute of Education. This decision aims to make up for missed classes due to pandemic-related school closures and to ensure the timely progression of school examinations.
Dr. Premajayantha highlighted the need for a strong commitment from teachers to accomplish this task effectively. As part of this effort, 3,000 new teachers are being recruited to teach Advanced Level subjects such as science, mathematics, technology, and foreign languages. Recruitment interviews for these positions are scheduled to conclude this week.
However, there is a challenge concerning Grade 1 to 11 students seeking admission to another school for Advanced Level studies. To address this issue, the Ministry plans to seek approval through a Cabinet paper. This action aims to facilitate appropriate admissions until these students receive their examination results.
The Minister emphasized that these measures are crucial to prevent potential delays for students entering university and to recover the academic activities disrupted during the two-year Covid pandemic period. He called for collective support and dedication from all stakeholders to ensure the success of these efforts.
The launch event of NIE Visual Radio saw the participation of notable officials including UNICEF Sri Lanka representative Christian Skoog and National Institute of Education (NIE) Director General Prof. Prasad Sethunga.