Opposition MP Dilith Jayaweera has called on the government to reconsider its decision to hold the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination in August, arguing that the schedule will leave students short of preparation time.
In a statement issued on Friday, Jayaweera said A/L candidates normally have around 26 months to complete their syllabus, but the August timetable would cut that period by about six months. He said the current cohort had also faced sustained classroom disruption from the recent adverse weather associated with Cyclone Ditwah, and accused Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and the government of showing “a lack of sensitivity” towards the candidates sitting the paper this year, Newswire reported.
The MP urged the government to withdraw what he called an unfair decision and to give students adequate time and support, calling the A/L “a crucial stage in their academic lives.”
The Department of Examinations published the 2026 timetable on June 8, confirming the examination will run over 22 days between August 10 and September 5, in morning and afternoon sessions. The cohort follows the 2025 A/L group, of whom 62.64% qualified for university entrance.
Jayaweera’s intervention is the first opposition pushback on the timetable. Prime Minister Amarasuriya, who holds the Education portfolio, has previously reported on Cyclone Ditwah’s impact on schools and the plantation sector but has not publicly responded to the calls to defer the August schedule.
