Editor’s note:
We are delighted to publish the below letter addressed to the Principal Athula Wijewardene.
At a time when the Royal spirit seems to be all but dead, we find this rare Alumnus and Parent who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
We will support him with all our resources, should he be forced to seek legal redress. We shall provide him with an array of star witnesses, all top educationists in the Island, who will explain very clearly what a farce the so called Selection Test is. We will also put the top Management of RC on the witness box to show how comfortable and confident they are under razor sharp cross questioning and responding under oath. And we shall show the whole country how fraudulent the Selection Test is. And let the country decide how fair RC is to every Child who enters it hoping for equality and fairness.
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I am an old boy of Royal and my son is now in Grade 5 and will soon sit for the selection test to gain admission into the English Medium (Bilingual) stream. Sadly, the school does not share the scope of this test, nor are past papers or any form of guidance made available for the students to prepare. It is carried out in complete secrecy, testing children on lessons they will only learn in higher grades – which involves using Science terminology for children who hasn’t started Science as a subject (even in Sinhalese/Tamil medium)
Already, some of his classmates have started attending private tuition classes conducted specially for this test which are conducted at many places. These tutors are said to prepare students exclusively for this test. From what I hear, these tutors prepare students on the very question paper that’s presented at the test, giving them a guaranteed pass (irrespective of their English language skills). This creates a system where advantage goes to those with money and influence, while the rest of the children are left in total darkness!
As a parent, I am well aware of two options to ensure my son’s easy entry to English medium. The first is to send him to one of those tuition providers who would give him the test paper in advance.
The second option would be to rely on the so-called appeal process, should my son fails the test. In such a case, I could pay the corrupt gatekeepers within the school’s management and secure his place in the English Medium stream.
Neither option costs much—certainly less than a single term at an international school and easily within my budget.
However, I would not opt to either of those options. As a Royalist myself, I abhor sending my child through the back door despite the convenience. Instead, it is his right (and the right of all the children) to study in the medium of their choice without facing unfair barriers. I will fight for what is right, Irrespective of how much it would cost me financially.
As a parent and an old boy, I am determined to fight this injustice through the highest legal channels in this country—not only for my son, but for all Grade 5 students today and in the years to come. This corrupt and secretive system must be rooted out once and for all, and every child must be offered equal opportunities to education.
Finally, as you are new to Royal, let me conclude with this. When Royal College was founded during the British era, most schools were missionary-led and tied to a specific religion or community. Royal was different from the very inception – with no affiliation to any religion or community. Its greatest strength was Secularity, that it belonged to no religion, no single community, and no privilege class. Children from all across the island could enter, stand as equals, and pursue their dreams.
And this secretive selection test is a betrayal of those founding values. It divides children, favours privilege, and undermines the very pillars upon which Royal was built.
Principal Sir: it’s not too late to put things right at RC. And it’s far better to solve these issues within the Boake Gates!
I am shocked to learn how low my old school had descended in its standards!
ReplyDeleteI was one of the fortunate old boys from an extremely needy background to have benefited from the excellent education RC provided in the days when we were able to enter the school entirely on merit and nothing else!
I am ashamed and alarmed to see that it’s not so anymore though the school is totally funded by taxpayers.
I am one the privileged old boys who benefited from the excellent education RC provided in the 1960s when, though from an extremely needy background, I was able to gain entry to the college as the process was based purely on the individual student’s merit and ability but none other!
ReplyDeleteTherefore I was shocked to read the above letter and gather that the process has deteriorated beyond any recognition of fairness and integrity in selecting able students!
O tempora! O mores!
As an old Royalist who benefitted immensely from the high quality of education that was afforded to me in the sixties, when all students were treated equally, irrespective of our means or affordability, I am truly disgusted to gather, how corrupt the system had become now.
ReplyDeleteEven now it’s not too late.
I would appeal to the Principal to reorganise this admission to the English stream by having an open selection test where students and parents are well informed of the breadth of the selection process, providing open guidance on the syllabus
and a set of past papers so that they could all be prepared to face the test in a fair and equitable manner.