Education director refutes TNA false allegations

by P. Krishnaswamy

"Allegations by the TNA MPs stating that schools in the Northern and Eastern provinces have been deliberately ignored, under the 1,000 secondary schools development program is absolutely incorrect said V. Selvarajah, Provincial Director of Education for the Northern province. He said that under the Mahindodaya 1,000 Secondary School Development National Program 90 schools have been selected for development in the Northern Province. Under the 5,000 School Development National Program 350 schools have been selected from the Northern Province, he said.

TNA MPs Pon. Selvarajah (Batticaloa) and Sivasakthi Anandan (Vavuniya) had said in their recent parliamentary speeches that schools in the two provinces have been marginalised in development programs, school buildings in the conflict-torn Wanni have not been renovated, thus forcing classes for students being conducted in jungles in the open air and also that one psychiatric counselling centre for the North is being closed, although over 15,000 affected students need regular counselling.

Selvarajah said that huge funds have been allocated for renovation or reconstruction of schools in the Northern Province, including for schools in the Wanni, with the work last year already completed and work for the current year nearing completion.

Denying the allegation that classes for a large number of students are being conducted in open air, he said that it may be true in the case of some students whose schools or classrooms are presently under renovation. Renovation and reconstruction of school buildings have been completed to a great extent, he said.

With regard to providing psychological counselling to affected students, he said that there are Counselling teachers in every school in the Northern province who had received their formal training in the Teacher Counselling Centre.