170 teenage ex-LTTE combatants, rehabilitated by the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation (BCGR) sat the G.C.E. (Ordinary Level) examination in Vavuniya Monday (13) morning.
Those teenagers, most of who had been either conscripted by the LTTE or kidnapped without knowledge of their parents while studying in respective schools in Wanni, Mannar, Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi areas after their surrender or capture were subjected to the Government launched rehabilitation programme after setting up the BCGR.
Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commissioner General of Rehabilitation told the army.lk that those O/L applicants were provided with all the facilities by the BCGR enabling them to sit the examination with confidence and future hopes.
Meanwhile, about 40 former LTTE cadres who sat for the GCE (A/L) examination last August would qualify for university entrance according to their Z-score marks, Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe was quoted in the Media saying so.
Two of those from Kilinochchi District who had obtained 1-A, 2-Bs and 3-Cs would be able to enter the medical faculty of respective universities after final intimation is confirmed, he said.
To-date, 351 ex LTTE cadres who had not received any education before and after they joined the LTTE are being given education at two specially designed schools in Vavuniya. 10 former child soldiers studied at Hindu College Rathmalana and received higher education. Out of a total of 361 former LTTE cadres who sat the GCE (A/L) last August, 211 students got through in all three subjects.
According to Brigadier Ranasinghe, four of them sat for the exam in the Mathematics stream, five from the Bio Science stream, 34 in Commerce and the others from the Art stream.
Those students were released to their custodians after rehabilitation and now live in their respective districts. According to the Z - score of those two districts they are able to enter the universities
He added that they were able to identify 594 students among all the LTTE combatants at the government-run rehabilitation camps after the war. He said 170 former cadres, including 45 females sat for the GCE (O/L) exam that commenced today (13).
