Schools open tomorrow for middle school and above amidst criticism

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Despite government's decision to open schools for second term tomorrow(May 06) several persons including chief prelates and principals expressed their dissatisfaction. The police media spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara noted that special search operations were conducted around schools in Colombo. He also advised the public not to park vehicles in close proximity to schools and special parking locations have been allocated to park school buses and vans.

• F. R. Senanayake Mawatha, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Dharmapala Mawatha, and Maitland Place have been allocated as parking space for Royal College, Colombo.
• Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo 07 has been allocated for Thurstan College Colombo.
• Nandadasa Kodagoda Mawatha, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha and the Lionel Wendt Art Centre have been allocated as parking space for D. S. Senanayake College.
• Perahera Mawatha in Colombo 3 and Stanley Jansz Grounds have been named as parking space for Musaeus College.
• Sri Lanka Foundation Institute road and BRC Grounds in Colombo 4 have been allocated as parking space for Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya and Visakha Vidyalaya respectively.
• White Park in Maradana has been allocated as parking space for Ananda College, Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya , Clifton Balika Maha Vidyalaya and Mahinda Vidyalaya.
• D. R. Wijewardena Mawatha in Colombo 10 has been allocated for St. Joseph's College, Ashoka Vidyalaya and Mahabodhi Vidyalaya.
• Hyde Park grounds in Union Place has been allocated as parking space for school vans and vehicles of staff members of the Defence School.
• For schools in the Narahenpita police division, Shalika grounds in Narahenpitiya will be the parking area.
• Campbell ground in Borella has been allocated for the schools in the Borella police division.

Meanwhile, the Church of Ceylon stated that the decision pertaining to the reopening of schools that come under its purview including S. Thomas' College Mt Lavinia, Trinity College Kandy, Ladies College Colombo and Bishops College Colombo, have been handed over to the heads of those schools, its management and the security committee that has been set up at each school. It added that the students of these schools have been informed by the respective schools in this regard. Several important persons have been critical of the school opening tomorrow (May 06). Mahinda Jayasinghe, General Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers Service Union noted that schools of a country should open following a terrorist attack if only the security forces of the country guarantee its safety. He added that the new circular by the Education Ministry shifts the burden of students' security to the school staff, parents and past pupils. "For Akila Viraj the value of a child's life is Rs. 200,000" he concluded. Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero, Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter requested authorities to reconsider opening schools tomorrow(May 06) as the citizens of the country are concerned about their children's safety. Most Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thero, Chief Prelate of the Malwatte Chapter noted that all the pirivenas are to be reopened tomorrow without any security. Thero added that reopening Buddhist schools is like inviting disaster to doorstep. Ven. Ranasgalle Gnanaseeha Thero, General Secretary to "Viharadhapathi Sangamaya" inquired that in a backdrop where most countries are requesting their citizens to leave Sri Lanka, would it be wise to open schools? Ven. Dr Maitipe Wimalasara Thero, Chief Incumbent to Ratmalana Paramadhamma Chethiya Pirivena argued if the government is confident about the security of the country and schools, why would they need a massive security detail when they provide a single officer to safeguard thousands of students in one school?