By: Isuru Parakrama
October 17, Colombo (LNW): Central Province Governor, Professor S.B.S. Abayakoon, has authorised the renaming of the ‘Keheliya Rambukwella Primary School’ in the Kundasale Division of Kandy’s Wattegama Education Zone.
This decision comes in response to widespread public demand for the removal of corrupt politicians’ names from educational institutions in the region.
The school will now be known as Kundasale Royal Primary School, following the recommendation of the Structural Committee of the Provincial Education Department.
The move is seen as part of a broader effort to restore public trust in the education sector by distancing it from controversial political figures.
This renaming follows the call for reforms led by the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, which highlighted a 1996 circular from the Ministry of Education prohibiting schools from being named after living individuals.
Joseph Stalin, the union’s General Secretary, pointed out that despite former minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s involvement in the immunoglobulin procurement scandal, his name remained attached to the school.
The recent decision addresses these concerns.
In a related development, Governor Abayakoon has also authorised the renaming of several schools in the Minipe Education Zone, Teldeniya.
This initiative reflects growing awareness of the importance of upholding integrity within the education sector, ensuring that schools remain neutral institutions free from controversial affiliations.
The immunoglobulin scandal, which implicated Rambukwella during his tenure in government, drew widespread criticism. Public pressure has since mounted to dissociate educational institutions from such figures, particularly as schools bear a critical role in shaping future generations.
