Local News: The Grade 5 Scholarship Examination was successfully held last morning amid strict health regulations in the face of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Education Ministry, 331,694 candidates sat for the exam at 2,936 examination centers across the island. The Grade 5 scholarship examination which started at 9.30 am ended at 12.15 pm today.
A special feature was the establishment of special examination centers for children who have been infected and quarantined.
Due to the threat of COVID, several special methods have been introduced to conduct the examination in the police areas where curfew is in force.
Although trains and buses were not allowed to stop in the curfew imposed areas, today was considered a special day and trains and buses were allowed to stop in those areas. The Department of Railways has directed to reserve two compartments of the running trains for the candidates appearing for the scholarship examination.
The number of students assigned to one classroom in an examination center was 20. Police say about 7,000 police officers were deployed to guard the centers.
In addition, quarantined students were given the opportunity to sit for the examination at the quarantine centers. Measures have been taken for those who could not go to the examination centers to sit for the examination with all the facilities and required mental concentration.
Five students who were receiving treatment for COVID-19 at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Angoda sat for the examination at the hospital premises. The students were supervised by an official of the Department of Examinations.
Three children of COVID-19 patients who are receiving treatment at the Wathupitiwela Base Hospital have also been provided arrangements by the hospital staff to sit for the scholarship examination. The children were taken to the examination center by a hospital ambulance.
Meanwhile, Kaveesha Chathuranga, a student of Bandula Senadheera Vidyalaya, Karandeniya, sat for the scholarship examination today as his mother died of cancer.
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