School cleaning programs today

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor

The Ministry of Education has instructed all heads of schools in the island to carry out cleaning programs in their school premises today. The third term of schools is to commence tomorrow.

The aim of the program is to get rid of dengue mosquito breeding grounds from school premises. "Many school heads have been found disregarding the instructions of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health with regard to controlling dengue, malaria, brain fever and filaria that are spread by mosquitoes.

"It is a national crime as the carelessness of school principals and authorities will lead to the increase of dengue victims among schoolchildren in our country. Such errant school heads will be fined and legally punished according to the newly introduced laws of the Health Department" a Senior Director of Education in Kurunegala told the Sunday Observer. The Ministry of Education has already sent a circular to all school heads in this regard through Zonal Directors of Education.