350,000 sit Grade 5 Exam tomorrow

By Umesh Moramudali-2016-08-20

More than 350,000 students will sit the Grade Five Scholarship Examinations to be held at 2,959 examination centres around the country tomorrow, the Department of Examinations said. According to the Commissioner General of Examination, W.M.N.M. Pushpakumara, 350,701 students will sit the examination. Of them, 421 students are described as children with 'special needs.'

Children with special needs are defined as those who may have mild learning disabilities or profound cognitive impairment; food allergies or terminal illnesses; developmental delays that catch up quickly or remain entrenched; occasional panic attacks or serious psychiatric problems. The Examinations Department had assigned approximately 28,000 staff members to monitor exams. The department said 'special teams' would be deployed at examination centres across the country throughout the day to ensure that examinations are not hindered in any way.

The Director General of Examinations noted that the Police are authorized to arrest any individual who disturbs the examination and the public are requested to lodge complaints via hotline 1911.