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 Lankan student collapses in the school; teachers do not attend

An incident of teachers not attending to a student who collapsed in the school was reported from a leading school in Embilipitiya in Sri Lanka on November 23. The teachers were afraid due to COVID-19 and the incident took place on the first day after the school re-opening. The teachers said they had not been informed about the actions to take in such situations and no protective equipment had been supplied to schools.  

The relevant 14-year-old grade-nine girl fell due to a difficulty in breathing. Fellow students helped her. However, no teacher came to help her. 

Ordered by the teachers, the state-owned Suwaseriya ambulance service took the girl intoEmbilipitiya hospital and admitted her to the Emergency Treatment Unit.  

Ceylon Teachers' Union spokesman Joseph Stalin 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. 

(Photo from Wikipedia)

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. 

Half of Sri Lanka's schools re-open today for students from grade 6 to 13

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

All schools sans few in the Provinces other than the Western Province will start today. The schools in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts will remain closed. 

Few schools in the Eastern Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and Kurunegala district will also remain closed. 

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

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