News
Diyakepilla Primary School threatened with closure
View(s):By Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa
The Diyakepilla Primary School, located in close proximity to the world heritage site of Sigiriya, is facing closure due to a shortfall in the number of students enrolling in the school. This has prompted parents to request the government to intervene to protect the school and provide transport facilities for children in adjourning villages to encourage them to enroll in this school.
The school, which belongs to the Galewela Educational Zone, has been providing education for children from grades one to five for four decades.
Nine left, six to go: despite dedicated teaching this primary school will have to close down
The total number of students in the school is currently nine, with three children in the fifth grade. Parents point out that the principal and another teacher have taught the children well and these grade five students have done well without attending extra tuition classes. All three have passed the Grade five scholarship examinations with good marks.
The three students in the fifth grade class of the school will leave for another school soon and the parents of three of the other students have decided to move their children to another school. This will leave Diyakepilla School with just three students.
The Diyakapilla village is located in the Mailaththewa division, the largest Grama Niladhari division of the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat. The village is located in a forested area about three kilometers from Sigiriya. Local residents point out that it is only six to seven kilometers to travel from other areas in the Mailaththewa division but there is no transport facility for children from those areas to travel to Diyakepilla School and the main road leading to the village is in a very dilapidated condition with the ever-looming threat from wild elephants.
Principal of the school, Mrs. Poornima de Silva, stated that if transportation facilities are provided from the Grama Seva Division including Mailaththewa, it will be possible for children who are entering grade one this year to join the school.
So far only one (male) student has been admitted to the Diyakepilla Primary School for the first year of 2025.
Accordingly, the principal stated that the survival of the school will be determined by the actions taken by the authorities in the next few days.
The parents and principal request the President to intervene to keep Diyakapilla Primary School open for future generations.
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