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Unscheduled school closures will adversely effect 2015 syllabus completion: Ed.Min.Sec.
View(s):Education authorities are concerned about the loss of stipulated school days for 2015, due to additional closures that will take place for elections and VIP visits.
Due to school closures for next week’s presidential poll and the following week’s Papal visit, the school days needed to cover the 2015 syllabus will reduce from 210 to 195, said Education Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayaka.
He said that, in addition to this, there could be more school closures in case of a general election, further reducing school days.
“It is a big problem, because children are unable to cover the syllabus with extended holidays,” Mr Dissanayaka said.
Government schools will reopen for the first term of the new year on Jan. 5 or 6, but schools islandwide will close on Jan. 7, 8 and 9, for the presidential election.
All schools will be reopen on Jan.12, but 48 schools in the Colombo District and over 30 schools in the Gampaha District will close once again from Jan.13 to 19 for the Papal visit.
WPC Education Ministry Secretary M.A.B. Daya Senarath said the schools are required to accommodate military and police personnel for the Pope’s visit.
Mr Senarath added that more schools may have to close if there is a request for additional accommodation for the security personnel. –Damith Wickramasekera