Certain press reports incorrect, distorted, says Education Ministry

MEDIA reports of certain newspapers on Thursday gave incorrect and distorted information on an incident that took place at the Education Ministry on Wednesday, the public day, states an Education Ministry press release.

Two parents whose children had been refused admission to Grade 1 in two leading National Boys Schools brought a crowd of about 15 and demanded that the Ministry permits entry of these two children to the said schools.

The appeal of these two parents, together with several others pertaining to several national schools are being investigated by the Presidential Investigation Unit on the instructions of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Up-to-date, the Unit has given recommendations for admission in Grade 1 in five National Schools under investigations. All such recommendations made to the Ministry of Education have already been sent to the relevant schools.

The children of the two parents have not been recommended by the Presidential Investigation Unit for very valid reasons. One admission had already been rejected by the Court of Law.

As such admitting those children as per the demands of those parents would be a violation of the school admission regulations.

The demonstration at the Ministry of Education last Wednesday was carried out to demand that the Secretary of the Ministry should carry out these irregular and unlawful admissions. The public is advised no to be misled by false and mischievous crafted news reports.