School re-opening in Sri Lanka is problematic - Ceylon Teachers Union

Ceylon Teachers' Union secretary Joseph Stalin said that four students of Thalawakele Tamil School who were undergoing quarantine had attended school today. 

He said that the government's unplanned re-opening of government schools had put the teachers in trouble. 

Stalin pointed out that when re-opening schools after the first corona wave, the government issued a circular for the safety of the teachers allowing them to stay in the school only when they are required for teaching. However, although the government has no plan to re-open primary classes yet, the teachers of the primary sections have also been summoned to duty putting them in unnecessary risk. Those teachers have no work in the school but have to stay until school is over. 

"The government's claims of successful re-opening and high percentages of attendance are fabrications," Joseph Stalin pointed out citing figures from some schools in Kandy town. "Today's attendance in some of the leading schools in Kandy are as follows:

Vidyartha - 54 

Sumangala - 60 

Sylvester - 60

High School - 74

Pushpadana - 64

St Anthony's Balika - 64

Seethadevi  - 30

"All these schools have more than 3,000 students"

The Ceylon Teachers' Union leader further said that the Ministry of Education had failed to send guidelines to the principals to handle such situations. "The Ministry sent a letter dated on 19th November advising to set up advisory committees comprised of relevant officials before starting schools but the time was not sufficient for that because the schools were re-opened on 24th. Although the Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris and Secretary to the Ministry Prof. Kapila Perera says they have allocated money for COVID-19 sanitary facilities, the schools have not received them." 

Stalin further said that the Ministry had not consulted principals and teachers properly before the re-opening of schools.

Meanwhile, 30 students and the teachers of two classes of two leading schools of Ambalangoda were sent for quarantine today. The reason was that the parents of two students had been diagnosed positive for COVID-19. These two students who were from the same family attended their schools yesterday.

Soon after the schools were re-opened, the educational authorities of Northern Province decided to close all the schools in Kilinochchi district until further notice because of a COVID-19 patient who had travelled into many places was diagnosed. 

Sri Lanka government has no proper plan yet for school education

Parents of school students of Sri Lanka complain that no proper plan is available to conduct the paralyzed education of the country's children. They lament about schools not having plans, authorities not providing proper directions, internet and electronic media access of the low-income groups. 

Some schools and teachers conduct online classes but many parents lament about the limited access to them because of coverage issues, internet access, lack of equipment and the quality of online education.

Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers' Union issuing a statement urged the government to streamline the use of television and radio channels to benefit the students because the electromagnetic spectrum is public property.

Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris said that Gurugedara Educational Channel telecast about 2,700 lessons from Grade 3 to 13. Gurugedara Educational Channel is telecast on Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation's Channel Eye which has poor visibility in some areas of the island. 

Sri Lanka State Ministry of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Remote Education Promotion announced that remote education would start for the school students since November 15. 

GCE Ordinary Level examination will not be held in December. The examination will be held from January 17 to 26, The Secretary of the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera says. 

The start of the third term of government schools was scheduled to November 9 but it was postponed indefinitely due to spread of COVID-19.

Out of 10,175 government schools in Sri Lanka, 1,468 schools have less than 50 students. The number of schools with the number of students from 51 to100 is 1,498. The Secretary to the Ministry of Education said that the authorities were considering the possibility to start these schools.  

Sri Lanka People's Movement Against Increasing the Electricity Bill

Sri Lanka People's Movement Against Increasing the Electricity Bill has called for a series of actions against the government decision to amend the power tariff.

As an initial step, the movement has sent a letter to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa stating that people are not responsible for the wastes by the government and demanding to minimize waste and grant relief to the ailing Ceylon Electricity Board.

The movement has planned awareness campaigns on April 30, May 03 and May 06 ahead of a protest march scheduled for May 09th.

The People's Movement Against Increasing the Electricity Bill comprises of a number of trade unions and other civil society organizations including Health Services Trade Union Alliance, Ceylon Teachers' Union, Ceylon Bank Employees' Union, Federation of University Teachers' Associations, Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, Railway Services Trade Union Joint Front, Telecom Trade Union Collective, Transparency International, CAFFE etc.