The Parents’ Exam

At the end of the primary education period in Sri Lanka, students may elect to sit a national exam called the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. Thousands of Grade 5 students sit for the exam each year in hopes of attaining a scholarship to attend a better-resourced, higher performing school. The emphasis on the exam creates a high pressure environment for Grade 5 students, which in turn effects both the development of the child and initial goals of the Grade 5 Scholarship exam. This paper explores the effectiveness, efficiency, and equitability of the Grade 5 exam in following through with the international goals of free and equal education.