Reopening schools only after careful evaluation of all aspects : G.L.Peiris

By Kelum Bandara  

Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said the government took the decision for reopening schools only after careful evaluation of all aspects.  

The Minister told a news conference the schools in the high risk areas were not reopened for the third term.   
Asserting that schools in the entire western province were not reopened, he said schoolchildren living in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara were not allowed to move out of their areas. Also, he said the schools in isolated areas of other provinces will be kept closed further. “There are 10,165 schools in the country. We have to follow a policy that is fair by the whole country. I have received numerous telephone calls from parents. They ask whether there is any logic in keeping schools closed in unaffected districts. We have taken the best possible decision in the interest of children. We won’t take any decision that has any bearing on their health safety. Prolonged closure of schools is tantamount to the closure of children’s future,” he said.   

The Minister said this was not a problem relevant to Sri Lanka only during the pandemic. He said authority had been delegated to a committee headed by each school principal to decide on the opening of 
respective schools.   

We won’t take any decision that has any bearing on their health safety. Prolonged closure of schools is tantamount to the closure of children’s future