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Education Ministry trouble-shooting big time as complaints flood in
View(s):Hundreds of students, parents and teachers are gathering at the Education Ministry to lodge complaints over school admissions, transfers, promotions and instances of harassment to teachers by principals.
The Education Ministry acknowledges these complaints, conducts immediate investigations on them and resolves them as soon as possible, said Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said.
He said they have received more than 3,000 complaints over the week.
“We give priority to children who have been discriminated regarding admissions, and if their claims are genuine, we provide them relief,” he said.
He said that, in previous years too, there had been a mechanism to receive complaints regarding school admissions, but no proper action had been taken to provide relief.
“The previous Ministers had not look into these issues and held discussions with the parents,” he added.
He said that, in some of the cases investigated this week, they were able to provide immediate relief to the affected children.
“We will continue this process for the next two to three weeks and try to resolve these issues,” he said.
Meanwhile, Education Ministry Secretary, Upali Marasinghe insisted that letters will not be issued by the Minister or any other officer of the ministry to school principals, requesting them to admit children to their schools, in response to appeals made to the ministry.
He said that, “Nothing productive will be achieved by visiting the ministry to obtain letters to admit children to schools.
-Damith Wickremasekara