June 06, 2010: Last Thursday, Action TV revealed that an investigation launched into an examination malpractice, which had taken place at the final year examination of the Medical Faculty of the Colombo University in March 2009, has been restricted to a mere document.
Responding to the report filed by Action TV, the vice chancellor of the Colombo University said that the report in that regard along with the recommendations would be submitted to the University Governing Council when it convened its meeting on the 3rd week of June.
“There are several more problems. We will have to take some action for these problems through the Governing Council. We need to know why such incidents are taking place, and as the Governing Council, we will take necessary action against those who are guilty,” said the Vice Chancellor.
Action TV also revealed another decision which was taken by the Colombo Medical Faculty as a result of this examination malpractice.
Although the committee investigating the alleged examination malpractice specifically instructed the final results of the girl in question to be suspended, the Medical Faculty had released an examination result which is not based on the marks that she had obtained.
Action TV inquired as to whether there is a precedent for exam results to be released based on such a method.
“Those are what they call statistics,” said the Vice Chancellor.
“For now, do not ask anything related to this matter. But I must say that this did not happen at university level. That is why I said that I cannot comment on this. We also have a clear observance on how the examinations were administered,” said the official.
As the University Governing Council prepares to study the administrative process of the exam, the attention of the vice chancellor has been drawn to a letter issued by the head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the Medical Faculty of the Colombo University.
In the letter, addressed to all the faculty heads of the Colombo University, steps taken by the vice chancellor so far with regard to the examination malpractice has been thoroughly criticized.
Commenting on the letter, the vice chancellor said the letter was very harmful to the faculty as well as the university.
“It is also written by the head of the relevant department. The head of the department is also responsible for the exams held. We will make a decision at the Dean's Committee next week and we will put it forward to the Governing Council,” said the vice chancellor.
If an examination malpractice had taken place, will the Governing Council of the Medical Faculty of the Colombo University be able to uphold the image of the university by taking appropriate measures to rectify it along with the other issued which have cropped up with this malpractice?
