WP Governor Salley participates in NY celebrations

Western Province Governor Azath Salley said on Thursday that his priority is to provide safe drinking water, sanitation and adequate furniture for school students in his province.

The governor was flagging off the Sinhala, Tamil Avurudu festival celebrations at Walagedera Maha Vidyalaya in Matugama on Thursday. Provincial Minister of Education, Culture and Arts, Sports and Youth Affairs and Information technology Ranjith Somawansa was also present at the event.

Speaking further following the event, Salley said there are several other matters that have drawn his attention which include shortage of teachers and dilapidated school buildings.

“We have already called for graduate teachers to fill up these vacancies and I have allowed the HNDE graduates also to apply for these vacancies since there is a dearth of teachers of English in the province,” he said.

He said he had extended all his support to supply potable drinking water to students and had granted a special allowance for the schools to employ a cleaning labour to maintain the toilets with proper hygienic conditions.

According to a recent survey conducted by a special committee comprising academicians, he said it was found that nearly 100 school buildings are in dilapidated conditions and some of them are in dangerous conditions that could cause harm to the students.

He said he had also instructed to replace the discarded furniture with new ones to make students study in a comfortable environment.