July 31, Colombo: The applications for the admission of students to Grade One of Sri Lanka’s government schools will be commenced on 15 August and will close on 05 September. The Supreme Court approved the President’s circular in this regard yesterday.

According to the new Grade One Admission Policy, all applicants for 2008 will have their names published in the national newspapers and thereafter summoned for interviews during that period. A Management Board will screen the applicants.

According to the circular, the applications should be called on 31 May each year and should close on 30 June. The school selection committee comprises two past pupils, two members of the school development board, principal or a representative of the principal, a representative of the zonal director and a non-political elite of the area.

Parents of around 325,000 students were waiting for the circular to apply for schools. Sri Lanka has 9,714 government schools. Out of that 345 national schools governed by the central government Ministry of Education belong to the most popular category. Hundreds of smaller schools are under the threat of closure due to the lack of students to attend them due to poor infrastructure and teacher shortages.