The alleged ill-treatment of a student at a school in Warakapola and the consequent suicide by his father have erupted into a major issue with the Sabaragamuwa Province Chief Minister himself and the Education Ministry intervening.
Chief Minister Mahipala Herath has ordered a second inquiry regarding the issue.
The student, Dilshan Kumar, was first allegedly ill-treated at Warakapola Gamini Vidyalaya and thereafter refused admission to another school, Ambepussa Maha Vidyalaya, before officials intervened to get him into a third school.
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| Dilshan Kumara |
Police carried out investigations on a complaint lodged by the student’s mother, who claimed that her husband committed suicide because their child was denied admission to a school in the Warakapola area, after allegedly being mistreated at the other school. Sakunthala Selvaraja, a mother of five, alleged that the principal of the Gamini Vidyalaya had told her to take the child out of school and vowed she would not allow the child to be admitted to any other school in the area.
As a result of this, her husband committed suicide, Ms. Selvaraja claimed. The first inquiry was carried out by the Sabaragamuwa Province Department of Education and this led to the child being admitted to Bauddha Vidyalaya.
A Divisional Educational Officer said the child was admitted to Bauddha Vidyalaya on July 9 in the presence of Divisional Educational officials and the police.
However the Chief Minister said he was not satisfied with the inquiry carried out by the Provincial Department of Education, and he had ordered the Provincial Ministry of Education to conduct a second inquiry.
He said the teacher responsible for this injustice should be punished so that such incidents would not recur.
Provincial Education Ministry Secretary H.P Kularatne said the second inquiry would look into whether the teacher at Gamini Vidyalaya had mentally or physically harmed the child. He said that pending the inquiry, they would transfer the teacher and the principal to another school.
Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said the ministry was awaiting the report of the second inquiry to decide on a course of action. |
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