JVP faults govt. for reopening universities, schools without providing proper facilities

The JVP-led NPP has called on the government to stop tinkering with the country’s education sector because such action would only result in negative outcomes.

Addressing the media at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte on Wednesday, MP Dr Hairini Amarasuriya said that the government’s failure to manage the COVID-19 pandemic was clearly visible when one looked at the prevailing situation in the country’s education sector.

“The government seems to think that reopening of schools and universities would be the solution. The question is whether these institutions have enough facilities to help prevent COVID-19. When the universities are reopened undergraduates are required to come to their hostels. Whether these hostels have facilities to ensure the safety of students is the question. The situation in the schools is also the same. Both teachers and students are exposed to the virus.

“We already have unsolved problems with regard to the quarantine and treatment. It is not wise for the government to reopen universities and schools in such a situation. We call on the government not to place the lives of our children in danger.”

NPP Operational Committee Member Dr Anura Karunathilaka of the University of Kelaniya said that amidst the prevailing chaos in the country’s education sector the government was now trying to change the number of years of school education. “There is a common criticism against the duration of schooling. The criticism is true. A student may attend school for 13 years and spend four to five years in universities and, therefore, the professionals such as doctors, engineers join the workforce when they are of the age of 30. In other countries the corresponding figure is around the age of 25. The delay of five years is due to various delays in the system that cannot be remedied by bringing down the number of years in school from 13 to 12. The delays are in the examination systems, issuance of results and moving from one stage to another, for example students who complete GCE Advanced Level examination have to wait at home months to enrol in universities. The delays are caused by lack of human and physical resources. But inflicting irreparable damages on the system due to whims and fancies of one or two persons in the name of solving problems cannot be countenanced.”

National Organiser of the Socialist Students’ Union, Rangana Devapriya said that universities, higher education institutes offering degrees and higher national diplomas had remained closed for nearly a year. “The government is now in a mighty hurry to reopen them. The responsibility of keeping these institutions open while fighting the pandemic is lies with their administrators. The heads of these institutes are told that they can reopen their institutions whenever they want. It is clear that the administrative officials of those institutes cannot counter the effects of a global pandemic. There is a need for a national level mechanism for that. The government overlooked the health and safety of children and teachers to reopen schools and we will see the results in the coming weeks,” Devapriya said.