Social and Psychological Effects of the Grade Five Scholarship Examination on Urban Children in Colombo District

The Grade Five Scholarship Examination is considered as one of the most competitive and stressful examinations in the Sri Lankan primary education system. Although it creates educational mobility, it causes the young students to develop high academic and psychological stresses. The research discusses the social, academic and psychological impacts of the Grade Five Scholarship Examination on the urban children in the Colombo District. Qualitative case study design has been used to examine the experiences of the students, parents and teachers who are part of the examination process. The data were gathered using semi-structured interviews of 100 Grade five students, five parents, four teachers and one Principal in Roman Catholic Maha Vidyalaya in Moratuwa. It has been found that family expectations, peer competition and socioeconomic disparities are major factors in the preparation, motivation and study habits of students. The examination, which was originally meant to foster educational mobility among the gifted and disadvantaged, shows a disconcerting irony: the availability of organized learning schedules and private tutoring in the midst of the present urban socioeconomic reality of Colombo is enormously dependent on family income, so that the exam could now be a mechanism by which social stratification is reinforced instead of eased. Although organized learning schedules and parental guidance may help in building academic discipline and problem-solving skills, the stress and high competition may cause stress, anxiety and less free time among students due to over pressure. The article also points out that the uneven access to the privatized tutoring and learning tools brings inequality in academic opportunities to the urban children. The findings highlight the importance of implementing a balanced approach to parent supervision, providing fair educational support, and establishing educational support measures such as counseling services, organizing school activities for students, and promoting exam preparation programs that are distributed across various schools, to protect students' psychological well-being and promote academic development. The research has implications to teachers, policy makers and practitioners who are interested in enhancing educational activities and promoting the welfare of children in high-stakes examination situations in Sri Lanka.