Sri Lanka's school re-opening not successful today

The school re-opening in Sri Lanka appeared unsuccessful on the first day due to lack of trust by parents on the manoeuvres of the authorities, our study indicates. 

The attendance of students was very poor in the majority of the leading schools. However, attendance was comparatively better in rural schools. 

Many of the parents expressed a lack of trust regarding the safety of the students. 

However, many schools had provided handwashing and temperature checking facilities.   

Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris said that as reported to the Ministry, six schools in the Eastern Province, 14 schools in the Central Province, 14 schools in the North Central Province, 12 schools in the Sabaragamuwa Province, 48 schools in the North-Western Province and one school in the Southern Province had not been re-opened. 

Ceylon Teachers' Union Chairman Joseph Stalin accused that the government had not provided facilities for disinfection and sanitization. 

Chairman of Lanka Teacher Service Union Mahinda Jayasinghe said that the people had not approved the government's decision. 

Out of Sri Lanka's over 10,100 public schools, around 5,100 will be opened today for students from grade 6 to 13.

All schools sans few in the Provinces other than the Western Province were expected to start today. The schools in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts remained closed. 

Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera said that the school authorities had been given powers to take decisions on emergency situations. 

The Ministry said that over 90% of the public schools have less than 1,000 students and it is not difficult to maintain social distancing. 

Sri Lanka's schools outside of the Western Province to start since November 23

Sri Lanka Ministry of Education decided to open the schools outside of Western Province and the isolated areas since next Monday, 23rd of November.

The schools were to start for the third term on November 09 but it was postponed for two weeks due to spread of COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, teachers from the Western Province have no permission to work in schools outside the Province. There are many such teachers who work reside in Western Province and work in other districts. Some of them travel daily while others stay in temporary residences. 

The Ministry did not announce any plan for re-starting the paralyzed education in the Western Province. 

Meanwhile, some teachers have started online teaching but many students complain about the lack of internet coverage, equipment like computers and smartphones and money for data. 

These photos shared on the social media show how some students in Baduraliya in Kalutara district of the Western Province difficultly catch signal to participate in an online lesson. 

Make schools places where love is distributed to the most needed instead of being melting pots of stress and competition

(October 03, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity, Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe)Sri Lanka government has announced that legal action will be taken in future against the parents of the children that are not attending schools.

A recent survey of the Census and Statics Department pointed out that around 250,000 children do not attend schools despite education plus text books and uniforms are provided free of charge to all needy and affluent children.

The government has decided to direct these children to schools and to make the village officer, the lowest rank administrative official, answerable if there is any child that is not attending school.

Meanwhile, several teacher activists pointed out that the above mentioned number can be more than the estimate of Census and Statics Department since there are many regular absentees in schools. These students are counted as those attending schools although they are not doing so.

A major reason for absenteeism and dropping out among school children is failing year end examinations and the students losing interest in schooling after failing to enter the next grade.

Many schools make students to repeat in grades but lacks programmes to improve them in the second year they stay in the same class. The attitudes of the teachers towards the repeaters are another reason for dropping out. Most teachers consider the failing students as a nuisance. Many children that lose the association of the peers fail to adjust to the new situation.

Many ignorant parents do not send their children to schools and direct them to earn a living through minor work due to poverty. Assistance and law enforcement is necessary for these families to make their children attend schools.

But that will not solve the problem. There is severe lack of good attitudes in the schools system towards slow progressing students. Principals and teachers are made to show good results and answerable to poor outcome compelling them to make the slow progressing students dropouts to save the heads of the principals and education officials.

It is not easy to get all students pass major competitive examinations. Focus should be to take all the students through the school education process. Failures should not be highlighted as the politicians, officials and media do now for petit gains.

See how many times it is reported that this number of schools has this amount of failures. The principals and teachers are needed to be monitored but not stressed to show the best outcome. There should be proper mechanism to attract and keep the slow progressing students in schools.

The schools are needed to be made places where love is distributed to the most needed instead of being melting pots of stress and competition.


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Sri Lanka President criticizes open economy and Western culture

(December 05, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Addressing the annual prize giving ceremony of Sanghamitta College, a leading girls' school in Southern Province capital Galle, Sri Lanka President said that the future generation should determine to sort out the ill effects of the open economy and Western culture to defend themselves from them. He also said that certain persons behold the country based on foreign attitudes and added that the education system that aimed at producing locals that think like imperialists was accountable for this. 

Sri Lanka President said that certain politicians are in the need of portray the nation as the world's worst country despite it has many good people that perform good deeds.He emphasized that there was no place like in heaven anywhere in the world and everybody has duty to work for a better society understanding the social differences and injustice. 

The President has called for an early presidential to extend his term by eight more years trading the war victory this year. However, he is facing a sharp competition as his ex-Army Commander is contesting the presidential as the opposition common candidate. Government politicians argue that Fonseka is backed by Western states that want to topple Rajapakse regime.