New year festivals in all NWP schools

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

The Ministry of Education NWP has instructed all school heads in NWP to organise new year festivals at school level during first school term before April 9.

The sole objective of this decision is to educate the primary schoolchildren on the age-old traditions and conventional rites and rituals connected to this Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival. Lighting hearths at auspicious time, respecting elders by offering sheaves of betels, commencing work for the new year at the auspicious time, visiting friends and relations, transacting, playing folk-games and reciting folk-songs would be taught to students practically at these school level festivals.

"The students of today have less opportunities to take part in traditional festive events.

Important and meaningful traditions would die down with the passage of time if elders of today fail to educate our future citizens properly on these valuable customs and habits that were passed on to us from our forefathers,' said the Principal of Kadigamuwa MV, Kurunegala, H.A. Nimal Karunathilake.

The Ministry of Education has allocated Rs. 3.5 million for the purpose.