All 9 provinces object amended Schools Sports Development Circular
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The zonal authorities lament the setbak in performance when arhletes reach the senior age category - File pix
A strong protestation has been placed by all nine provinces for the amended Schools Sports Development Circular (34/2016), which was sanctioned by Secretary of Ministry of Education. One of the main reasons for the united objection is known as ignoring the initial agreement made with the directors and divisional directors of the 98 Educational Zones with regard to the final decisions of the amendments and alterations of the Schools Sports Development Circular.
“It has been approved, but the agreement made before while drafting the amendments, has been totally ignored,” a top official involved with the process stated.
The Zonal Educational Directors and Provincial Sports Directors have forwarded their recommendations during a series of meeting held before the circular was approved by the Ministry of Education Secretary. But according to sources most important segments have been ignored by the top officials.
The Under 17 short and middle distance is one of the focuses to improve
“The top officials of the Ministry of Education agreed to include the most important schools sports segments in order to develop the sports across the island. There were number of important recommendations and suggestions made throughout the process. All agreed on these changes,” the source added.
However, the amended Schools Sports Development Circular 34/2016, approved by the Ministry of Education Secretary, the agreed suggestions and recommendations have been totally disregarded, according to several Zonal Sports Directors.
“A number of effervescent recommendations made by the Sports Directors of Zonal and Provincial levels, to develop and uplift, have been taken off. This is ethically a breach of confidence and pledge given to us. Currently there are 26 school sports disciplines categorised as popular and up and coming. Our recommendations were to develop the up and coming sports to the level of popular, and to give more prominence to sports that fall into the unpopular category, yet result oriented,” a Zonal Sports Director stated.
“They agreed to include the important and good recommendations into the amendment. But when we saw the amended circular, all our expertise have been totally ignored,” he added, while pointing out that suggestions made to focus on selected athletic event categories have been taken off.
The suggestions made in athletics were to focus the development of Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 age categories in both girls and boys, and to produce a strong programme to develop track events in particular. But the Zonal Sports Directors lament that those visions, which were planned long term with national interest, have been totally ignored.
Athletes of Under - 15 age category are highly targeted through the roject
“We cannot expect international stars overnight. The school level should be that platform, and this has been a lagging cause for Sri Lanka’s position in athletics internationally. But with what we eventually saw in the circular, we are further disheartened and disheartened,” the official went on to say.
Another Provincial Sports Director explained that such circulars cannot be changed time-to-time and when needed by individuals, but when the opportunity arises all involved make sure to come out with what is best for the country in general. However, the official explained that, the opportunity to make further developments have been totally misused when the opportunity came across.
According to sources, the amended Schools Sports Development Circular was in display in the official website of the Ministry of Education, but with strong objection coming from all parts of the island, the circular is currently inaccessible on the website.