MoE not involved in School’s security operations- AVK
View(s):As security continued to dominate concerns of the school authorities the Ministry of Education (MoE) informed school authorities that no guidelines have been issued that would cause inconvenience to the parents.
This was after some schools set up their own security arrangements such as instructing parents to send the books in transparent bags, and raise funds to purchase security equipment, including CCTV cameras, for schools.
MoE Secretary Nihal Ranasinghe said that, if the principals request for additional security, including metal detectors, the MoE will provide them after assessing the security situation.
He said they will also discuss with the Civil Defence authorities and form more vigilant committees to ensure security in schools, when the Security Forces and the Police are phased off, once the situation returns to normal.
Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that, if there were concerns about ad hoc security arrangements, which inconvenience parents, they could call the MoE on the hotline 1988.
Meanwhile, in schools islandwide, this week, tight security was maintained with the help parents and past pupils.
Security checks at a school in Puttalam – Pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
Students returning to schools under tight security conditions in a school in Chilaw – Pix by Augistin Fernando.