Re-opening of schools on May 11 may be delayed - Army Chief

“As of now, I do not foresee that it could be opened on May 11. My belief is that up to 75%, it may not be possible” 

• There is a lot of planning to do before the children could attend school

By JAMILA HUSAIN  

Sri Lanka’s Army Chief, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva yesterday said that opening schools on May 11 may not be possible as several logistics would have to be put in place to ensure the safety of children in classrooms.  

• Even if schools do re-open, there will have to be a first handed special operation put in place and guidelines will have to be set as Sri Lankan schools have a minimum of 30 to 40 children per class
• We will let the health experts review the situation and advise us what to do. If schools cannot open on May 11, we will have them closed further

“As of now, I do not foresee that it could be opened on May 11. My belief is that up to 75%, it may not be possible,” Lt. Gen. Silva said. He explained that even if schools do re-open, there will have to be a first handed special operation put in place and guidelines will have to be set as Sri Lankan schools have a minimum of 30 to 40 children per class.   

“A lot of logistics are required to think and practice before schools start. Everyone in the school will have to know exactly what they can do and what they cannot. 

There is a lot of planning to do before the children could attend school. So considering all these logistics, we wonder whether every school has that much of facilities to cope up and open. This is the reason I believe that we may not be able to open on May 11,” the Army chief said.   

The government on April 11 announced that schools will be reopened for their second term on May 11, revising its decision to reopen schools on April 20. However Education Minister Dullus Alahapperuma explained that this decision would be reviewed again in the first week of May by health experts, and if schools were advised to remain closed considering the country’s situation, then the government would further delay the re-opening.  

“Opening schools is not a political decision. 

We will let the health experts review the situation and advise us what to do. If schools cannot open on May 11, we will have them closed further,” minister Alahapperuma said.