Ranuli Wijesirwardhana, a student of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, has excelled in both the G.C.E. Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations within the same year.
Ranuli sat for the 2023 (2024) G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination in May 2024, earning 8 As and 1 B, with the B in English Literature. In November 2024, she took the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination in the Physical Science stream and secured 3 As along with an island rank of 963.
While completing her Grade 10 studies, Ranuli simultaneously prepared for the A/L curriculum. Because students below a certain age are not permitted to sit for A/L examinations through school enrollment, she withdrew from formal schooling and completed the examination as a private candidate
Her father, a teacher with 20 years of experience, said Sri Lanka’s education system should allow talented students to advance more quickly. He said graduates in Sri Lanka often enter the workforce at 26 or 27 years old, compared with 21 or 22 in other countries, and that earlier graduation would benefit both individuals and the economy.
Ranuli’s achievement has renewed calls for reforms to better support exceptional students. (Newswire)