brand logo

SJB calls for urgent O/L, A/L school reopening

16 Sep 2021

  • Urges student vaccination as per scientific prioritisation
By Dinitha Rathnayake All schools should be opened as soon as possible following a proper programme to vaccinate all students according to a scientifically identified priority basis, said Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Patali Champika Ranawaka at a press briefing. He emphasised that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is the only vaccine approved for children and young adults, should be given to all schoolchildren. Ranawaka alleged that there is about a 7-8% mortality rate for those who have taken both doses of other vaccines during this current Covid-19 pandemic wave, adding that therefore, they urge that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine be brought down immediately and administered to these young adults. He also called for the universities to be opened upon vaccinating undergraduates as their academic studies have been halted for nearly two years. However, Ranawaka said that the holding of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) exam should be prioritised over reopening schools with less than 100 students and the holding of the Grade Five Scholarship exam.  “The GCE A/L examination has been postponed with no date fixed. Amidst all of this, the Government is planning to reopen schools without even a plan to vaccinate children. We have urged the Government to lay down a plan to reopen schools by 1 January 2022 with details of the vaccination of all students following a priority order. We highlighted the need to vaccinate all teachers and to resolve their grievances by ending the trade union actions they have begun. We don’t however see the Government taking any notice,” he stated. Further, he noted: “Instead, the Government is planning to reopen schools with less than 100 students. There are a number of schools in rural areas which are on the brink of closure. Most of these schools have grades up to the Grade Five Scholarship examination. Starting these schools is not the answer to the current issue. What is urgent at the moment is to restart the GCE A/L and Ordinary Level (O/L) classes. All A/L and O/L students should be vaccinated on a priority basis. “The examination results of the O/L exam held last December are still not released. About 300,000 students sat for the said examination. Currently, they are in a dilemma as to whether to resit for the examination or to continue to A/L. The delay is eight months to date. The reason is the practical examinations. Why can’t the authorities propose a solution for this? All of these students have done their practical exams in Grades 9, 10, and 11. The authorities should draw up a scheme to appraise the practical skills of students based on those previous examinations and to release the results with theory papers. “With regard to A/L, those students are under tremendous pressure. They are anxious. Some may have to sit for a second time. Those who sat for the second time may have to sit for a third time. The mental stress they endure is unimaginable. Therefore, we warn this Government: Don’t meddle with the lives of these students. Administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine immediately and hold the A/L examination. If foreign tourists can be brought down in thousands, why can’t the students be kept in a bio-bubble and the examination be held? “Even the issue at universities can be resolved amicably. There are a substantial number of hostels in all universities. The authorities should think of resolving the issues of those who are in the third and fourth years of the universities. If the vaccination programme can vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people a day, vaccinating university students would be a very easy task.  The Government should move to reopen the universities as soon as possible. The process of vaccination and reopening should commence at least from the start of next month. “This Government is not keen to reopen universities because it is afraid of protests. Keeping the universities closed to evade protests is a crime. There are not many who have had higher education in this Government. They are not sensitive to the grievances of the parents. I invite all the parents of university students to raise their voice against this injustice. The Government is infested with crooks, thugs, and thieves. There are a few ministers with integrity, but they are silenced and sidelined.”  

Kapruka

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


More News..