Tamil
English
Sinhala
Primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka
Primary education in Sri Lanka lasts 5 years. Pupils aged 5-10 go through grades 1-5. Pupils are taught subjects in the 4 subject fields of the national curriculum: language, mathematics, environment related activities and religion. From grade 3 on, pupils are taught English and the 2nd national language (Sinhala or Tamil) as subjects. At the end of the last year of primary education, pupils can take the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.
Grade 5 Scholarship Examination
At the end of the last year of primary education, pupils can take the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. This is a competitive test administered by the Department of Examinations. The aim of the test is:
- to select excellent pupils from poor families for scholarships;
- to select the best pupils for leading secondary schools.