The Supreme Court has announced that the verdict on the fundamental rights petitions seeking a re-conduct of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination will be delivered on December 31, 2024.
This announcement follows the conclusion of hearings related to the petitions, filed by students who sat for the examination and their parents. The petitions were heard over three full days by a bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Kumudini Wickremasinghe, and Arjuna Obeysekera.
Key Developments:
- Oral Submissions Concluded:
The oral submissions from attorneys representing both the petitioners and respondents were completed on December 18. The court has allowed any additional written submissions to be filed by 9.00 a.m. on December 19. - CID Investigation Report:
Earlier today, the Supreme Court directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to provide a comprehensive report on the investigation into the alleged leak of three questions from the first question paper of the exam. The CID was instructed to submit this report by 9.00 a.m. on December 19. - Background of the Issue:
- On September 20, allegations arose that three questions from the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination had been leaked.
- Investigations by the Department of Examinations and CID confirmed the leak but determined it was limited to three questions.
- In response to public outcry, the Cabinet of Ministers recommended awarding free marks for the three disputed questions instead of re-conducting the examination, citing the potential stress on students.
- However, some parents alleged that the entire question paper had been compromised and staged protests demanding a re-examination.
- Legal Actions and Interim Orders:
- In October, the Commissioner General of Examinations announced that the exam would not be re-conducted and free marks would be awarded.
- Subsequently, the Supreme Court issued an interim order in November preventing the release of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination results until further notice.
- Arrests and Investigations:
- A 58-year-old NIE Director, part of the examination paper preparation committee, and a 49-year-old teacher conducting tuition classes for Grade 5 students were arrested over the incident. Both remain in custody.
This high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, with the Supreme Court’s impending verdict anticipated to bring resolution to the controversy surrounding the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.
