President Ranil Wickramasinghe says that he has requested the Attorney General’s advice regarding the measures to be taken against those who directly or indirectly disrupt education during school studies. Sri Lanka Latest News
Addressing a teacher appointment ceremony held at Araliagaha Mandir this morning, the President said that he will not allow any acts of sabotage.
“Work with discipline. You cannot run an educational service without discipline. The previous strikes… those strikes in schools are not good. There is no reason. In 2022, during the time of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the only salary increase was given in this field. This year, we gave everyone an allowance of 10,000 rupees twice. Even though they did that, there was a strike that day and they did not come to the classrooms.
The next day he stopped without telling anyone. The days were broken twice. Who was harmed? For these students, especially Sinhala media students in government schools. An MP from Jaffna told me that we will not allow such a strike. All came. All were taken to school. Many Muslim schools were also taken. Near our house is the Ladies’ College and all other private schools. What did these people do? What these leaders did was to stop all Sinhala media schools. Several student leaders asked the president, how can we go and teach these people how to keep them disciplined.
Today’s teachers have fallen to that level. In some schools, teachers were threatened not to come. It is not good to let them play like this. I discussed this with the Attorney General and he told me to give him a proposal that no one can directly or indirectly disrupt classes from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm. School closed or boycotted or otherwise. We have to take that step for future generations. Don’t be angry with me after this, I will have to act harder. I said with Lord Malwatta that day that we are ready to declare an emergency and take schools.”
