Parliament

Preventing school authorities charging money from parents:

Circular soon under President’s direction

Sandasen Marasinghe and Irangika Range

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided, when Parliament met at 1 p.m. yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up an adjournment motion moved by DNA Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath on collecting money from students in schools.

Vijitha Herath (DNA):

We express our deep sympathies on the demise of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. It is reported that a number of schools are collecting money from students, which is in fact illegal. Today schools continue to collect funds from students despite President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s directive against doing so.

Today, teachers and principals have become money collectors. The school authorities are prompted to collect money for various purposes such as security, sanitary facilities, furniture, functions and development etc. Ultimately, innocent and poor parents have to bear all these expenses.

Though Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena earlier said that he will issue a new circular under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to prevent fund-raising in both national and provincial government schools. It has not yet been issued. President issued the directions following the arrest of a 13-year-old schoolgirl by Police for stealing coconuts worth Rs. 800 to raise funds to paint her school walls.

The issuance of a circular banning the collection of money from schoolchildren served little purpose as it had failed to withdraw on earlier circular 2008/35 that authorised school heads to collect money. Though the Education Minister had promised to issue a new circular, prohibiting collecting money, the 2008/35 school development programme circular enabled schools heads to raise funds.

We urge Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena to immediately issue a new circular by abolishing all previous circulars.

Two weeks had already passed since the Minister promised in Parliament to issue the new circular.

T.B. Ekanayake (Cultural Affairs Ministry): The government’s commitment to provide free education has helped Sri Lanka to achieve impressive social indicators in education, health, life expectancy and equal opportunities to everyone. The priority given by the Government to education is recognized as having contributed significantly to Sri Lankas high rank in human development. Our literacy rate is very high compaired to other Asian countries. As a whole, the education sector in Sri Lanka has improved in an unprecedented manner during the tenure of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. During the past five years, we have been able to commence the English medium classes in primary and secondary sections of a number of rural schools.

Akila Viraj Kariyawasam (UNP): Parents are unable to feed their children today due to high Cost of Living. Therefore, it would be an extra burden for them to give money to various other things at schools. On the other hands heads of schools face grater difficulties in maintaining their schools due to lack of funds provided by the Government.

Therefore, we urge the Government to increase the funds allocated to the education sector.

The entire education sector has collapsed due to politicization. There have been violations of the regulations through persistent political interference in making appointments to the posts of education sector.

Duminda Dissanayake (Education Services Minister):

Vijitha Herath questioned I my knowledge since I am a member who was elected to Parliament at 22 years of age? But I was elected at the age of 21. I question him as to how he speaks for the country’s youth when we criticized my achievement as a youth? My view is that if there are no sufficient number of students in a school there is no point in keeping it opened with little facilities. We have to enroll these students to popular schools where they would get enough facilities.

There may be very few who engaged in corruptions but not all. We have to take actions against all who engaged in corruptions.

Sajith Premadasa (UNP):

There are around 14,000 school principals in the country. Without questioning their needs the Principals’ Service Code has been changed. It affects education badly. The R. Premadasa Government granted school uniforms to 4.3 million students.

The Mattala Airport will be opened on March 18. It is a great achievement. We are very happy. But there is a shortage of teachers in Hambantota district.

Lasantha Alagiyawanna (Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Deputy Minister):

MP Sajith spoke of the teacher shortage in the Hambantota district. But when his father was the President there was severe teacher shortage in the same district than today. He said there are no sanitary facilities in eight percent of schools but the same rate was 50 percent during his father’s regime.

In 1994 only 17 percent and 27 percent of students passed O/L and A/L examinations in 1994 respectively. But these rates have increased dramatically.

M.A. Sumanthiran (TNA):

The government has allocated a mere 1.56 percent of the GDP for education. This is a very less amount compared with the allocations made in other countries. Education is the sector that government should give its highest priority. Sri Lanka has had comprehensive strategies for the education sector to expand.

It is important to change the strategies with time and this should be done fast. Militarisation has badly affected the North and East school system. No function can be held in schools in those two regions without inviting to politicians and military personnel.

Ajith Kumara (Independent Member):

There are multiple crises in the education sector. These problems have not emerged overnight. The ordinary people have been suffering immensely due to these struggles. These crises were there for many decades. Most of them were due to mismanagement, politicization and adhoc decision-making.

A.H.M. Azwer (UPFA):

It is agreeable that there is a huge sum of investments that is pumped in for schools in Sri Lanka. Country’s education is now at a unique position. We have targeted to convert Sri Lanka as the most preferred country for education in the Asian sub continent.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody takes the Chair.

There are lots of shortcomings in schools situated in the Colombo district. All these schools need upgrading, better sanitary facilities and more funds to develop the existing facilities. Schools in the North and East should be upgraded.

R. Yogarajan (UNP):

Education sector allocations should be increased. Without increasing allocations there is no point of talking about the measures of improving education. The teachers and school administrators find it hard to run schools with meagre sums receives from the Government.

V.S. Radhakrishna (UPFA):

Facilities of schools in the estate sector have been developed for the past few years. But there is a teacher shortage in these schools. The Government is acting gradually to fill these existing vacancies. In the recent past, 379 new teachers were recruited to the schools in the estate sector. These teachers must be provided with proper training.

M. Chandrakumar (UPFA): There are a number of physical resource shortages in Northern schools. The Government should provide sufficient allocations to construct buildings in schools in the North. Another big problem prevailing in the North is lack of teachers to teach maths, science, IT, biology, physics, chemistry and English.

It is difficulty to upgrade the education without solving these problems. There are 550 vacancies for the post of principals. The Government should take immediate steps to fill these vacancies.

R. Yogarajan takes the Chair.

Ravi Karunanayake (UNP):

The education sector in a country is very important as it can build a country or destroy the same. The education in Singapore and Malaysia developed those countries.

However, the allocations made for the education is 1.8 percent as a proportionate to the GDP.

The government allocates money on useless projects but funds for education sector is not enough. There are many complaints from small schools in the Colombo District. There is not a single National College in the Colombo North. Education is a national issue.

C. Muthukumarana (UPFA):

The main reason for the closure of rural schools is that the students in those areas attend popular schools in towns.

Because of this reason certain schools have only nine students and four teachers. However, there is a good school only 4 km away from that schools. So these nine students could be attached to other schools. If we can correct our attitudes we can continue with the 1,000 school programme properly.

Janaka Wakkumbura (UPFA):

I could reopen three closed schools and open another two new schools. However, population is also a reason for the closure of the schools.

In my electorate there were two types of protests one, they say they need the school in village.

Others acquited to close the schools. Our Government catered for the needs of the people and opened new schools in my electorate and reopened closed schools as well. I changed the name of a school in Kalawana now it is Kalawana Royal College. Last year there were 12 students but now there are about 168 children.

But in another village the people assisted in renovating the school and they would admit their children. And we spent Rs. 100,000 on this. The next week the parents took away their children influenced by some politicians. However, we reopened it by admitting some other children.

Bandula Gunawardena (Education Minister):

Though Adjournment motion was moved by the Opposition, I am sad that there is none of the Opposition members in the House to listen to the reply.

Anagarika Dharmapala with others opened 122 schools to develop education in the country which was severely affected by British rule.

He was severely criticized and later he left the country.

When the government took over schools the people protested. The same government was not elected at the next election. So, when there was a move to change the education dramatically towards a positive direction the people were urged to criticize the changers.

Now the same situation is created when this government has launched the education towards the correct path.

Each year around 300,000 are admitted to schools 25,000 enter universities.

The rest are without a proper skill for a particular profession. However, only 21 percent of A/L students study science stream. 27 percent study in economic stream. 52 percent study in arts stream.

The government has approved to recruit 1,000 English teachers. Only 93 have accepted the appointment.

But there are many areas today.

MP Sumanthiran has no right to talk on this issue. They taught the Tamil children to use weapons and wage war for 30 years as suicide bombers.

Before that most of the professionals were Tamils and this has been changed due to LTTE activities. This is an irreparable loss to the Tamil community. Now President Mahinda Rajapaksa is providing an opportunity to go to school.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken a decision to develop 1,000 schools with at least three schools to each divisional secretariat with all facilities enjoyed by students in popular schools. Out of them 206 schools will be Tamil medium schools.

Parents are in a frenzie to admit their children to popular government schools.

The UNESCO says the children should be tought in their mother-tongue during the primary, education but children attending international school study in English.

The wealthy children can read for degrees overseas after O/Ls but here it is not.

So the Mahinda Rajapaksa government is going to change this situation. If we cannot make this change under this regime we would never be able to make this change.

The government never wants to close the schools. There are 147 schools which have 2 students in 181 schools there are 3 students in 210 schools there are only 4 students.

However in 25 percent of schools have below 10 students each. Only in 10 schools there are more than 1,000 students each.

However 104 schools were closed in 2009 and 36 schools in 2012.

We are going to introduce a common categorization under the 1,000 schools programme newly 34 schools have been opened Laboratories are being constructed in 409 schools. The UNP Government initiated the privatization of education in 1983 by commencing the school development fund.

When Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga became president, she cancelled the school development committees in 1995.

However, this government never make it compulsory for students to make a payment.

However, the schools use the funds of well wishers to carry out various projects.

However, a circular will be issued soon under the directions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa preventing school authorities charging money forcefully on making compulsory payments from the parents.

The House was adjourned until 1.30 p.m today.

Over 5,000 principals’ vacancies

Sandasen Marasinghe and Irangika Range

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated in Parliament yesterday that there are 5,166 principal vacancies in schools administrated by Provincial Councils countrywide.

There are 922 vacancies in the Western Province, 373 vacancies in the Wayamba Province, 734 vacancies in the Eastern Province, 536 vacancies in the Northern Province, 464 vacancies in the North Central Province, 547 vacancies in the Uva Province, 650 vacancies in the Southern Province, 645 vacancies in the Central Province and 295 vacancies in the Sabaragamuwa Province, according to a document tabled by the minister.

The document said that action had been taken to fill these vacancies and 4,500 principals would be sent to these schools by the end of this year.

The document was tabled in response to a question raised by DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

State banks provided Rs. 70,460 million in property loans

Sandasen Marasinghe and Irangika Range

State banks have provided Rs.70,460 million in property loans to public servants at an interest rate of 4 per cent since 2005.

A document tabled by Chief Government Whip Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in response to a question raised by UNP Anuradhapura District MP Chandrani Bandara said that though the public servants who obtained the loans had to pay only 4 per cent interest of the amount they received as loans the government too pay a portion of the interest.

Accordingly in 2012, the government paid Rs 1,700 million as total amount of balance interests of these loans and Rs 1,900 million had been allocated for 2013 for the same purpose, the document said.

Houses for all estate families by 2015

Sandasen Marasinghe and Irangika Range

The granting of a house to families of estate employees would be fulfilled by 2015, Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said.

He made this observation yesterday in Parliament in response to a question raised by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa.

The Deputy Minster said that 4,031 houses are being built for the estate sector employees. He added that 2,558 houses have been already been granted to the families of these employees.