Officials from the Department of Meteorology, the Disaster Management Centre and the Department of Examinations met on Wednesday to settle arrangements for holding this month’s Grade 5 Scholarship and G.C.E. Advanced Level examinations through the current spell of bad weather.
The discussion focused on keeping both examinations running uninterrupted if adverse conditions continue, Ada Derana reported.
The Disaster Management Centre said it will set up a dedicated unit at its Operations Room to monitor and respond to any disruption to examination activity should rainy weather persist on August 6, 7 and 8 — the three days immediately before candidates sit. Boats and disaster response teams have been placed on standby to assist in the event of flooding.
The 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship examination is scheduled for August 9 at 2,723 centres. The Advanced Level examination follows from August 10 to September 5 at 2,532 centres.
A plan drawn up with the Tri-Forces
The meeting builds on a contingency plan announced a day earlier by K.G. Dharmathilaka, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, who told NewsFirst it had been drawn up jointly by the ministry, the Disaster Management Centre and the Department of Examinations, with support from the Tri-Forces and the police.
“I do not think any child will face any obstacle in participating in the examination. All transport facilities and alternative arrangements have been prepared,” Dharmathilaka said. He added that if a situation arose in which the examination could not proceed, the Department of Examinations would take that decision, but said he expected no obstacle to holding the A/L examination. He also said rainfall was expected to ease from the 9th onwards.
Court clears the way
Separately, the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed, without taking it up for consideration, a fundamental rights petition seeking to postpone the 2026 Advanced Level examination. The petition had been filed by five students due to sit the examination for the first and second time, Ada Derana reported.
It is the second court ruling against a deferral. The Court of Appeal rejected a similar bid to push the examination back by two months on July 23.
Met Department Director General Ajith Wijemanna had flagged the August 5 discussion with education authorities on Monday, when he said there was little likelihood of the weather disrupting the examinations. The wet spell has killed eight people and affected more than 11,800 so far.
Tuition classes, seminars and predicted question papers have been banned since midnight on August 4 for the A/L examination and midnight on August 5 for the Scholarship examination.
Sources: Ada Derana, NewsFirst, Ada Derana.
