Rules for one private school

My son was rejected admission to a popular private school in Mt. Lavinia simply because he was a Buddhist. My wife and I were humiliated at the interview with their board of governors, when the Warden of the school had the audacity to question us in front of other members of the board as to why we were Buddhists? My son's application was rejected.

I had no alternative but to somehow get my son admitted to a private school down Thalakotuwa Gardens. It is not because I could afford but because my conscious was not ready to prepare false documents to get him admitted to a popular government school in Colombo as some other influential people do. From where I lived, I did not qualify to come within the required radius to get my son admitted to a recognised government school although there were many schools in the vicinity.Today my son has to endure untold misery just to satisfy a handful of residents down Thalakotuwa Gardens who have received the justice they aspired to from banning my son coming to school in his own private car. Compared to many other schools situated on similar roads this road is wide enough to accommodate more than two lanes of traffic.

I wonder how many schools are situated on much busier roads and why penalise only this school. Is it because it is a private school? We were compelled to send out children to a private school not because we could afford but this country does not offer a fair deal to all its tax paying citizens equal opportunities. I am also a tax paying, honourable citizen of this country. When the rainy season starts I wonder what the plight of these children would be. Although now the school had to provide a shuttle bus at a drop off point away from the school, there is no proper approach to this place as it gets congested with traffic and people. All this happens while we watch in dismay so called government servants drop off their children in public funded limousines at the doorstep of some so called prestigious schools in Colombo. Because the state cannot offer equal opportunities to all its citizens, we have to pay high fees for our children's education so that public officers enjoy a good life out of our tax payments and also subjected to such misery for a wrong we did not commit.It is unbelievable that we were harassed to such an extent on several occasions my wife was photographed by unknown residents mostly men at Thalakotuwa Gardens as she took my son to school. Isn't it an infringement of our rights to move freely in a democratic country? Is this the justice country offers its citizens?

Now even so called cross dressers of the HI society have joined the bandwagon to ridicule this private school when these very people are a bad example to the very fabric of our 2500-year-old culture.

I hope justice will prevail some day.

A distressed parent

Piliyandala.