The primary school’s final exam, the Scholarship Examination, is very important as it determines a child’s future. The personal result and performance defines whether a child can gain access to a prominent government school. The exam can be taken in one of three languages: Sinhala, Tamil or English.
The weekly timetable of primary education can vary between 16 and 24.5 hours, depending on the grade and age of the child. There is a wide variety of subjects taught in these schools including:
- First National Language (Tamil or Sinhala)
- Second National Language (Tamil or Sinhala)
- English
- Environment related activities (Social studies, Science, Health, Physical Education, and aesthetic subjects such as Art, Music and Dancing)
- Religion
- Co-curricular activities (Meditation, participation in cultural and religious festivals and events)
- Optional curricular activities (pupils in 5th grade can choose a subject with regards to their skills and interests, for example Art, Agriculture or Dancing)
As well as these classes, pupils attend an assembly each morning, which has a religious focus, drills and exercise (1hr and a quarter per week of each). Children have between an hour and a quarter and two and half hours of break time per week, depending on their grade.