displaced Sri Lankan students sit for exams in Chennai

Chennai, Dec 11 (UNI) About 62 Sri Lankan students, displaced due to the ethnic crisis in the country and housed in various camps in the State, today took their ''O'' level examination in the city.

Official sources told UNI that of the 98 students, who were issued hall tickets to appear for the Sri Lankan General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level Exam, 62 attended the exam held at Rosary Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

The examination, held for the benefit of students displaced by the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Lankan Troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), would continue till December 21.

This was for the first time that students from abroad took their examinations with the Supervision of both the Indian and Sri Lankan teachers.

About 20 teachers have been specically flown in from Sri Lanka to provide intense training to the students, who had covered the entire syllabus in about 45 days.

The papers would be sent to Sri Lanka for evaluation, the sources said.

A pass in this examination, equivalent to Plus Two in India, would enable the students to pursue their higher education like UG and PG in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai P M Azma told UNI here today that the island government was committed to providing to the displaced students.

He said it was a culmination of the efforts of the Lankan and Tamil Nadu Government, and the Organisation for the Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR), which had taken the initiative to ensure that the displaced students pursue their education in right earnest.

OFERR made a request to this effect to Mr Amza, who, in turn, forwarded it to Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for approval.

After getting the go ahead, Mr Amza took up the issue with the Tamil Nadu Government, which supported the initiative, paving way for the examinations, he added.

''It was part of the peace initiative and has been welcomed by all the sections'', OFERR treasurer S C Chandrahasan had said.

UNI GV KD VV1907