Compulsory school attendance of A/L students lowered to 40% - Minister

Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha says that it has been decided to reduce the compulsory school attendance of the students applying to sit for the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level to 40 percent from the existing requirement of 80 percent.

Commenting further regarding the matter, he expressed that the decision was taken in consideration of the situation which had prevailed in the country.

“One must have completed 80% school attendance percentage to apply for the A/L examination as a school applicant, according to the letter dated 17/7/2023”, the minister added.

However, Premajayantha also emphasized that the children could not regularly attend the schools owing to the Covid-19 pandemic that affected in the years 2020 and 2021 and the unrest occurred in the country during last year.

“Therefore, after considering these facts, we issued a letter again to all provincial education secretaries and school principals to take decisions at the school level regarding the school attendance of the students who are expecting to appear for the A/L examination this year”, he said.

Furthermore, the minister asserted that the students’ school attendance will be considered at the minimum level of 40 percent only in this year.