MoE reminds Schools against donations for Grade 1 admissions
View(s):The Ministry of Education (MoE) is to send a fresh reminder to National schools to refrain from accepting donations and gifts for school admission. This is in view of complaints that National schools are violating a 2015 MoE Circular directing principals to refrain from soliciting donations for admission of students, particularly to Grade 1.
Education Minister of Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said he intends to re-send the Circular to the schools and remind them about the directive.
He said, however, if the principals and schools violate the directive, strict action will be taken against them. The Circular was issued in 2015, soon after the new government came into power, as complaints had been received that schools expect large donations to admit children to school and that parents were unable to do so. Currently, schools have started reviewing applications for Grade 1 admissions for 2019.
- DW