Quote:
Classes conducted under trees for students
DM / 18Aug2005
Maha Oya : Pollebedda school in Mahaoya education zone, established in 1956 , to educate children of the Vedda community, has been neglected for long by the authorities. At present the classes in this school with 450 students are conducted under trees.
Till recently the classes were held in two temporary sheds built by parents, but one of them is now in a dilapidated condition.
The students who attend to their studies amid severe hardships have been further inconvenienced by the transfer of teachers wihout replacements.
Their education has collapsed for want of teachers for Mathematics, English and Agriculture.
Principal of Pollebedda Vidyalaya, Mr. D.M.B.Bandara said, “ The cadre for school is 12 teachers. At present we are short of four teachers. Students in three classes are left to idle during school hours. GCE ordinary level students are the worst affected by the shortage of teachers.
They do not have even tuition classes around here and their parents are also not in a position to provide private tuition..
Today, I have only five teachers. One of the teachers is on leave and two others are attending an in-service training session. They attend these sessions for weeks, while the students idle without teachers.”
Residents of the area said that the GCE Advanced level qualified voluntary teachers who served at the school for more than five years were not selected for permanent appointments.
However, two voluntary teachers from Ampara were made permanent and appointed to the school have now been transferred to their hometown. Annoyed by this injustice the voluntary teachers who served at the school earlier have also stayed back, leaving the students in the lurch.
They appeal to the authorities to focus immediate attention on the sad state of this school and take steps to eliminate the shortage of staff, to improve the school buildings and also to provide a library and a playground for the benefit of the school children.
