Colombo (LNW): Instead of shutting down schools, educational authorities should prioritise their protection and preservation, said Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, addressing the opening of the new Matika Mata Uphara building at Wellawatta Vaishaka Vidyalaya, associated with Lindsey Girls’ College in Colombo this (16) afternoon.

Vaishaka College, established in 1935 through the generosity of philanthropist E.S. Fernando, faced potential closure in 2016. However, with the intervention of the current “Dasasil Mata, Matika Mata”, previously known as Sri Devi de Silva, the school was rejuvenated and linked with Lindsey Girls’ College in Bambalapitiya.

Full Statement by the Prime Minister:

“All those officials holding positions in the education sector in Sri Lanka should think deeply about the issue of school closures. We never got more schools from the government. It is the schools that our people built with great difficulty that have brought this country to the highest place in the field of education. We must not forget that.

Under the program to integrate all schools for a national education programme, our country has reached the pinnacle in the field of education. We have to move forward in the world by overcoming challenges.

E. S. Fernando family is a most respected family in Wellawatta. One can recollect the great service rendered by Mr E. S. Fernando by establishing Vaishaka College, which originated with such a profound name and produced a large number of students who have succeeded in an array of paths.

Wellawatta is a place of literature and culture. The world famous Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda was drawn to Wellawatta because Wellawatta is a literary haven. It is very important for us to preserve the identity of Wellawatte as a nation.

We have been taught two factors, responsibilities and duties. Our duty is the position we hold. Responsibilities are the obligations we have to fulfil on behalf of human society. These children are the future generation of our country. The role of teachers is to fulfil the duty and the responsibility should be to perform more duties to make our children good citizens.

As responsible citizens is there any possibility to see the closure of this successful school for a trivial reason? This is a good eye opener for education officials. As the Prime Minister, it is my duty to recall these. Eight hundred schools built by our elites and given to us in distant regions have been closed. This is the statistics. We cannot start all those schools again for the villagers.

If any resource is received for education, if it is donated for education, let’s add it creatively to the school. If you can produce children equipped with all three languages, you are beginning another chapter for their future. We believe that when they leave the fifth grade, they will be interested in adding information technology knowledge for the betterment of their future.”

Most Ven. Thricunamale Ananda Thera of Bambalapitiya Siri Vajiraramadhipati Aggamaha Pandita, along with the Mahasangha, Desashakthi, Deshakeerthi, Diriya Mata, Mathika Mata Bhikshuni, the former Speaker Deshmanya Karu Jayasuriya, MP Yadamini Gunawardena, as well as teachers, parents, and students participated in this event.

Colombo (LNW): The Sour (Ambul) Banana and TEJC Mango Cultivation Projects in Jaffna initiated under the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Project by the Agriculture Ministry has reportedly reached success.

Currently, Sour bananas cover 200 acres, and TEJC mangoes span 500 acres, both cultivated for export. Collaborating with the Rajanganaya Sour Banana Project, weekly exports of 10,000 kg of sour bananas to Dubai are underway.

On Sunday (15), Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera together with MP Angajan Ramanathan assessed the progress of these ventures.

The TEJC Mango Project occupies 500 acres in the Elutumattuwal area of Chavakachcheri, while 200 acres are dedicated to sour banana farming in Jaffna’s agricultural zone, which also houses a sour banana processing centre in the Nilavarei area.

Amaraweera expressed satisfaction at the projects’ outcomes and highlighted plans to expand them using high-density cultivation to maximise yield.

Noting Jaffna’s low paddy yield, he emphasised the ministry’s commitment to offering farmers the necessary technology, cultivation methods, and facilities to shift to more lucrative crops.

Both the mango and banana initiatives have turned into significant foreign currency earners for Sri Lanka, with an emphasis on maintaining high-quality standards.

Sour banana farming in Jaffna will grow by another 400 acres, and while the TEJC mango project is adequately sized for the imminent large harvest, Amaraweera cautioned against excessive mango plantations that could deflate market demand.

The ministry is also promoting the cultivation of other export-worthy crops.

Colombo (LNW): A staggering 56,000 children in Sri Lanka are grappling with extreme malnutrition, divulged the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis.

This alarming data was sourced from UNICEF research and was spotlighted by Committee Chief MP Gamini Waleboda during a recent meeting.

The distressing findings highlighted that an astonishing one-third of Sri Lankan families are without reliable access to food.

This paints a concerning picture of the island nation’s ongoing struggle with food security.

Colombo (LNW): Two Sri Lankan women arrested several days ago by Israeli and Jordanian border officials on the allegation of unlawfully entering Israeli land are set to be returned to Jordan, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed.

The duo had made an illicit entry into Israel via the Jordanian border, the Embassy said in a note.

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel Nimal Bandara identified the women as a 50-year-old and a 44-year-old, and asserted that a decision has been made to repatriate them to Jordan.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel would collaborate with its counterpart in Jordan to ensure the safety and oversee subsequent matters concerning the two women, he added.

These arrests occurred in the backdrop of a conflict between Israel and Palestine.

There have been reports of a Sri Lankan woman in Israel losing her life in the ongoing strife, with another woman missing and a man injured.

In related news, Sri Lankan officials in Palestine confirmed the safety of individuals from three Sri Lankan families in Southern Gaza, and assured that they have sought assistance from the Red Cross for evacuation from Gaza.