The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) issued several Interim directions to the Department of Examinations with regard to the alleged infringement of the freedom of religion or belief of around 70 candidates from Zahira College, Trincomalee, who recently sat for the GCE Advance Level examination.

The directions are as follows:

To conduct an internal inquiry into whether the invigilators present during the examination had objectively assessed the attire worn by the candidates and reached an objective conclusion that the attire violated examination rules.

To review the interpretation of the relevant examination rule in order to ensure greater consistency and certainty in the application of the rule and to avoid similar situations during future examinations.

To review the current procedure for assignment of female invigilators and ensure the assignment of adequate numbers of female invigilators to examination halls in the future.

To refrain from taking any action against any candidate who has complained to the HRCSL or any school official associated with Zahira College, Trincomalee, specifically with respect to the subject matter of the alleged infringement of the fundamental rights of the said candidates, until the HRCSL completes its ongoing suo motu investigation.

 Download: HRCSL Interim Directions to Department of Examinations