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Transfers
for reinstated school heads The transfers are to be effected after CID investigations are completed. Although the PSC has directed the Education Ministry to reinstate the two principals, CID officers are said to have requested the Education Ministry not to do so as it would be a hindrance to ongoing investigations. The Education Ministry denied reports that legal action against the PSC was being planned. "We obeyed it and we are not going to do anything else," Education Ministry Additional Secretary S.L. Gunawardena told The Sunday Times. Although the PSC had approved the interdiction of the principals of Minuwangoda Balika, Lalith Athulathmudali, Maliyadeva and Pannala National colleges, it had taken a different position in the case of the principals of Ananda and Kingswood. When contacted, a PSC spokesperson said principals should be interdicted only if they were proved guilty. Since they were not proved guilty they can resume their duties, while investigations proceed. However, the spokesperson declined to explain why only the Ananda and Kingswood principals were reinstated. Meanwhile, Presidential Investigations Unit head A.A. Wickramasinghe told The Sunday Times his responsibility for these two particular schools had ended. "What we can do is only recommend, the rest will be done by the Ministry. At the moment we are investigating four leading national schools in Colombo. We can investigate only five schools at a time, " Mr. Wickramasinghe said. PSC approval for the interdiction of D. S. Senanayake College principal Asoka Hewage is being awaited by the Education Ministry. However, sources said the chances are that he may be reinstated as in the case of the Ananda and Kingswood principals. It is now learnt the three principals are reportedly ready to quit the public service if their continuance in office was going to develop into a major issue. Kingswood Principal Ranjith Chandrasekara said the interdictions should not be made a big issue. "These should be treated as some inquiries on public servants. We three are ready to quit the service if this continues to be a problem," he said. Meanwhile, the All Ceylon Trade Union Federation blamed the government for creating the concept of national schools. "National schools were first set up in 1960 and from then onwards, this problem has been growing. It is the Government which created this problem by designating some schools as national schools," Dhammika Alahapperuma, organising secretary of the federation said. |
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