Request to President not to reopen schools on 11 May

A group of activists have written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requesting the Government to adopt a more cautious and considered approach to the reopening of schools and refrain from reopening schools on 11 May.

“Although we recognise the importance of reopening of schools and ensuring the students can continue their education and return to normalcy, we are further mindful of the complexity and challenges that will be faced by school authorities, students, parents and service providers, in the midst of the current critical pandemic situation without a transparent exit plan from the lengthy period of lockdown status,” they said in a letter sent to the President.

The Government has announced that schools can reopen on 11 May.

The group pointed out that epidemiology of COVID-19 among children in China had confirmed that “about 4% of children were asymptomatic, 51% had mild illness and 39% had moderate illness, while about 6% had severe illness, compared to 18.5% of adults”.

This shows the greater risk of transmission of Covid-19 from children to adults causing severe infection in adults necessitating intensive care,” they pointed out.

“Since the first person affected by the COVID-19 virus was reported in Sri Lanka in early March, the Government of Sri Lanka has taken commendable measures to contain the situation. Among the many appropriate decisions taken by the Government, we highly appreciate the timely decision in mid-March to close all schools in the country, thus taking the safety and security of all school children as a national priority. Regional and international experience in coping with the virus clearly indicates that teaching staff including helpers (in the absence of effective testing) can be asymptomatic and pose a serious health risk to students and to each other,” the letter said.

The estimated current student population in Government and private schools is approximately 4.5 million with over 200,000 teachers in Sri Lanka.

The group, consisting of citizens and persons engaged with issues of public concern in the area of education, called upon the President to refrain from reopening schools on 11 May and have submitted several suggestions to consider in this regard:

• The opening of schools should be made on transparent and reliable factual decision made by health experts, based on their collective agreement with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, National Child Protection Authority and other relevant stakeholders, on their satisfaction over the containment of the spread of the virus and a safe environment for all school children and citizens.
  
   
• Assess the feasibility of reopening schools on a priority basis, i.e. students who are sitting for GCE O/L and A/L examinations in 2020, and in areas in the country where there is health clearance obtained with particular attention to maintaining safe distancing in classroom arrangements ensuring safety of children and staff. A school preparedness plan should be in place that includes early awareness for students, teachers, parents and relevant service providers, suitable facilities and services in schools, as preventive and precautionary actions to contain the spread of the virus.
  
   
• To ensure the effective functioning of the Education Task Force with representatives of desired skills and experiences in education, health, child development and disaster management, who will make key recommendations to the sector, in the COVID-19 relief response period and during a stipulated period of time in agreement with the stakeholders as mentioned in above.
  
   
• To learn through foreign expertise especially from the countries where alternative education systems are identified and successfully implemented during the crisis period, to ensure the continuity of school education through alternative means until such time all schools are functioning.
  
   
• nIdentify the provision of essential school materials and supplies to enable children to resume their school second term (on dates collectively agreed based on recommendations) as a State support to help parents of a majority of school children, who are faced with financial difficulties in loss of regular income.
  
   
• Provide a safe environment of education non-discriminatory of gender, ethnicity, and religion and ensure the implementation of Ministry of Education Circular No. 12/2016 in providing an education free of mental and physical abuse reminiscent of post Easter tragedy.
  
   

The signatories to the letter are Prof. Savithri Gunasekara – Emeritus Professor of Law and former Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, Prof. Siri Hettige – Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Former University of Colombo, Joseph Stalin – General Secretary, Ceylon Teachers Union, Dinesh Keerthinanda – Executive Director, International Women’s and Child Rights Council , Dr. Sujata Gamage, Co-Coordinator, Education Forum Sri Lanka, Visakha Tillekerathna, Chief Commissioner, Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, Rohan Maskorala – CEO, Shippers’ Academy Colombo, Soraya Marikkar –Attorney-at-Law, Social activist and Interfaith consultant Sunila Mendis – former Senior Assistant Secretary to the former President, 1994-2005; Member of Presidential Task Force on Educational Reforms, 1998, and former School Principal, Sidath Wettamuny – Chairman, Nobles Group of Companies and former National Cricketer, Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa – Head of Department of Family Medicine, University of Colombo, and Past President Sri Lanka Medical Association, Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka – Chairperson, Stop Child Cruelty Trust, Manu Tissera – Communications and Advocacy Specialist Conveners of the Voluntary Initiative for National COVID-19 response effort – Education sector.