Decision on re-holding Grade 5 Scholarship exam after probing ‘paper leak’

The Education Ministry says the decision on whether to hold the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination again or not will be made after the CID and the Exams Department complete their investigations into the alleged leaking of questions.

The decision will be based on the findings and recommendations of the relevant investigations, according to the Secretary to the Ministry of Education Thilaka Jayasundara.

Speaking at a press conference today, she stated, “Grade 5 scholarship exam commenced on September 15. Following the allegations revelation of a leaked question paper, the Examination Department initiated an investigation. Based on the initial investigation report, the Criminal Investigation Department is now conducting further inquiries.”

“Accordingly, the President and the Minister have instructed to take necessary actions based on the findings of that investigation,” the Education Secretary said.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) had issued a special statement yesterday (19) regarding the controversy over the incident of the Grade 5 Scholarship examination paper allegedly being leaked.

The communiqué stated that the Department of Examinations and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are conducting an investigation regarding the issue with the first paper of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.

It is further stated that a decision on the matter will be made after the conclusion of these investigations.

On Tuesday (17), the Commissioner General of Examinations Amit Jayasundara said that investigations are being held into an incident where three questions similar to those on the Grade 5 Scholarship exam paper had allegedly been posted online via a model exam paper.

He had also stated that if investigations uncover that the questions have in fact been leaked, the relevant questions would be disregarded during the paper marking process.

He revealed that an investigation was conducted based on the information received alleging that a teacher in the Alawwa area had uploaded a model question paper to social media which had included three questions similar to three questions in the first paper of the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam.

The Exams Chief had stated that a team of investigative officers will travel to the relevant area to conduct an inquiry in this regard and a final decision will be taken after their report is received.

Meanwhile, a group of parents of students who recently sat for the Grade 5 Scholarship exam staged a protest in front of the Department of Examinations on Wednesday (18) over the proposed decision to remove the three questions in the exam’s first paper.

The protesters had demanded that the entire Grade 5 Scholarship examination, which was held on September 15, be cancelled instead.