School for prisoners

Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena laid the foundation stone for the construction of the country’s first prison school yesterday, the Education Ministry of announced.

Minister of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Chandrasiri Gajadeera also participated in the ceremony.

The prison school will be established in Watareka Prison situated in the Homagama electorate of Colombo District.

The Ministry has allocated an estimated Rs. 35 million for the construction of the three-storey building for the prison school.

The Ministry of Education will provide teaching staff and the equipment for the school, which will accommodate 400 students.

According to prison statistics, 2,848 out of 32,128 prison inmates are uneducated.

(www.colombopage.com)