"Education Minister has wrought havoc with the education"

(June 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) UNP M.P.Ranjith Maddumabandara speaking to the media at the UNP media unit today (11 Jun) said , the Education Minister in his eagerness to help his henchmen , cronies and stooges through the Ministry at the expense of the children’s education has brought gross ruination on the education sector . Right from the Grade one School admissions, GCE O/L , A/L exams to Teacher and Principal appointments , the Ministry has muddled up every aspect of a child’s education including the supply of books and mid day meals , he added with deep regret.

While the Govt. has brought the country to rack and ruins economically by its politicization of all sectors , the Education Minister has wrought havoc with the education and the precious future of the children’s lives, he pinpointed. The bungling is so monumental that the UNP Unions had to go to the Supreme Court (SC) against the Ministry and obtain a verdict on the appointment of Principals of schools . The SC declared the Ministry appointments were not on merits and gave a direction to rectify the grave blunder committed by the Ministry. This type of faults were not committed during the UNP periods ; nobody had any need to go to Courts to appoint Principals or any others duly on merits , they were done duly by the Ministry itself. Of the 10, 000 Principal appointments , 8000 are political appointments , he lamented .

Despite there being a SC decision against continuation in service after reaching 60 years , the Education Ministry is abounding with senile decay – Many Secretaries , Directors and Senior Officers are well over 60 years old , but they are still in service because they are all stooges of the Govt. It is an established fact that after 60 years , diminution of efficiency is natural with ageing . But , the Ministry has decided to encourage senile decay in the Education sector even sacrificing the interests of the children and the future generation merely to serve its own selfish political agenda, he observed.

Referring to the war victory , he said, if the Govt. tries to abuse this triumph to attack media, destroy the Democratic rights of the people and continues with its favorite occupation of burdening the people with more and more taxes , tariff and price hikes , the very purpose of this victory will be defeated. As, it is the people who made the sacrifices most on the road to this victory , let the Govt. be reminded that it is a victory of the people by the people and for the people. Hence , the Govt. must focus its attention on relieving the people of the inordinate burdens and hardships imposed by the Govt. in the past excusing itself on the war, he exhorted. The Govt. must address the urgent problems of the people instead of going on holding celebrations forever like schoolboys celebrating a cricket match victory, he noted.

-Sri Lanka Guardian