School hours:

Extension not mandatory

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The Government has not taken any mandatory decision to extend school hours till 3 pm, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga said yesterday.

Lalith Weeratunga

There is also no unanimity in this matter on the part of the Government to extend school hours till 3 pm.

Even though schools which come under the ongoing project to set up 1,000 schools throughout the country can continue till 3 pm, the President has very clearly stated that the school time extension will apply only to new schools which are being set up under the 1,000 school project.

Any decision to continue school hours till 3 pm will solely rest with the school concerned with the consent of students, parents and teachers and will not be mandatory.

The Secretary to the President was making a clarification on behalf of the Government countering malicious propaganda which created an impression in the minds of the people that the Government has insisted on all schools conducting classes till 3 pm.

“It is purely a matter of the school since that decision should be taken by that particular school. But the children are benefited by extending school time to 3 pm because children have more time to attend to many extra curricular activities such as physical training, aesthetic activities such as dancing, music, life skills and other cultural activities and many more,” he added.