The Education Ministry has interdicted the principal, the vice principal, two teachers and a security official of Devi Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo, following a Public Service Commission inquiry into allegations ranging from misuse of school funds to seeking unlawful donations.
Ministry Secretary Nimal Bandara told The Sunday Times that the interdiction letters had been sent to Principal Sandhya Renuka Malalasekare, deputy principal P. Karunawathie, two assistant teachers P.V. Anura Priyantha and P.V.N.Vinodani, and security officer Buddhika Wijedheera.
The principal was earlier transferred to the Ministry, pending the outcome of the investigations.
The Public Service Commission had recommended the interdictions after a committee which held an inquiry submitted its report.
The probe had revealed that the principal had asked two parents to deposit Rs. 500,000 each in a personal bank account instead of the school account. Another student was admitted to the school after her parents paid Rs. 200,000.
The report said another personal account had been maintained to deposit contributions from parents to the ‘parent’s society’, but no receipts had been issued.
According to the report, the school asked its students to pay Rs. 1,000 each for a fund established to support a teacher suffering from leukemia but the money did not reach the teacher’s family.
On another occasion, money and material contributions were sought from parents to improve the Budhu medura but again no receipts were issued, the report said.
Another allegation was that 15 packets of lunch were made daily from the food meant for hostel students and sent to the principal’s house.
Students told the committee that the quality of the hostel facilities deteriorated after the principal decided to take the hostel administration from the past pupils. It is also alleged that the principal had also asked the hostel staff to save Rs. 50,000 every month and hand it over to her.
The principal had also got school labourers to work at her house in Panadura.
Labourers of the school have been reportedly used to do the cleaning at her residence in Panadura. |
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