The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 26 refugee students clear `O' level exam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 21, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

26 refugee students clear `O' level exam

R.K.Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI : As many as 26 of the 99 Sri Lankan refugee students, who undertook the `O' level examination in the city a few months ago, have passed and qualified for the next level -- the `A' level.

Over 150 had applied and 99 mustered the courage to appear for the difficult examination. The `O' level examination is the equivalent of the Class Ten examination in India, but many student refugees were older than the average Class Ten student. Frequent disruptions because of the fighting between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan forces meant that examinations were routinely postponed.

The `O' level has six core subjects — maths, mother tongue, Science and Technology, Social Studies, English and Religion — an aesthetic subject and a technical subject. There are two options, adding to ten papers. Even when conditions are favourable for studying, the `O' level examination is considered to be tougher than the Indian Class 10 examination. Add to that the uncertainty of holding the examination in Chennai and also the fact that dates too were not known in advance. Plus, the students did not have many of their text books.

Compared to the pass percentage in Sri Lanka [47.42 per cent] the percentage here [29.21] might be a little low. But you should remember the circumstances under which the students wrote the examination," pointed out Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner in Southern India, P.M.Amza. "I thank the Central and State governments and of course, the non governmental organisation OFERR for having helped."

Mr.Amza said that the whole idea of holding an examination here came about after noticing that 27 per cent of the 15,000 refugees, who arrived here after January 2006, were students. There were too many logistical issues involved the Sri Lankan Government was keen that students did not loose an academic year for no fault of theirs. "We are actually thinking of how to tap the 2500 Sri Lankan graduates in India. We want to ensure that they contribute to the development of their motherland. I am sure that if they get an opportunity, the graduates would all go back. So will all these students too," he said.

Mr.Amza was all praise for the students who had shown the courage to take the examination under such adverse circumstances. "The teachers came only about 40 days ahead. The students really prepared hard even during that limited time. I had seen it myself," he added.

Many people worked to ensure that the examination was held here: the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR), the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission, The External Affairs Ministry and the Tamil Nadu Government. With all this too, bureaucratic delay would have meant that the examination did not take place. But the personal interest shown by School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu and School Education Secretary M. Kutralingam after poet Kanimozhi brought it to the notice of the Minister made it possible for them to take the examination.

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