Tamil exam paper in Sri Lanka's Central Province under scrutiny for alleged 2019 duplication

An investigation has been launched into a Tamil language examination paper administered to Grade 11 students in Sri Lanka's Central Province. The inquiry, led by the Central Provincial Director of Education, aims to determine if the paper is a copy of an exam previously given to students in the Northern Province in 2019.

The issue surfaced during the second-term examination held on July 14. Students preparing for the upcoming Ordinary Level examinations are reportedly facing questions in the Tamil paper, specifically from question number 24 onwards, that appear to be identical to those from the 2019 Northern Province exam. This duplication extends to all questions in the second and third papers.

Joseph Stalin, the secretary of the Lanka Teachers' Services Union, formally notified the Central Provincial Director of Education about the discrepancy. He has requested a thorough investigation into the matter, highlighting the potential impact on students who have been given this reused material.

Central Provincial Education Director Nayomi Hettiarachchi confirmed that the Provincial Education Department prepared and issued the exam paper. She stated that efforts are underway to compare the current paper with the 2019 Northern Province exam paper to verify the allegations. The examination department is expected to conduct a detailed review to ascertain the extent of the duplication and its implications for the students' assessments.

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We will take steps to investigate this question paper by comparing it with the question paper provided to students in the Northern Province in 2019.