Sri Lanka, Feb. 23 -- Nimal Silva, an 81-year-old resident of Kiriberiya, sat for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) Mathematics examination-not merely as a personal achievement, but to send a strong message to the government about the state of the national education system.

Silva criticised the current curriculum for moving away from fundamental arithmetic, which he believes is essential for practical life.

"In the past, students had a dedicated Arithmetic paper focusing on core skills," he told reporters.

"Today's exams are dominated by multiple-choice questions and complex formats that confuse students rather than educate them."

Calling for reform, Silva challenged the President, Prime Minister and education authorities to attempt t...