In yet another devious act of state resource exploitation parents, teachers and students have been summoned to schools by the Education Ministry to participate in various abruptly organised ‘openings’ despite the schools remaining closed for December holidays, to promote President Rajapaksa‘s election campaign.

Joseph Stalin

Teacher unions have expressed their concern over these meetings and ‘openings’ that have been organised out-of-the-blue soon, pointing out they are a clear violation of election law flouting which the authorities have failed to prevent.

“Since the end of the 2014 O/L examination on December 17 until now, a total of six Mahindodaya laboratories have been suddenly unveiled by the Education Ministry in Gampara and Puttlam districts,” Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin said.

He said that school authorities have summoned parents, teachers and students of the respective schools for the event where they had been made to sit through hours of speeches and presentations about the development carried out under the Rajapaksa regime.

Stalin added that about six more have been scheduled to be opened within the coming days in Hambanthota and Batticaloa districts.

Despite lodging complaints with the Elections Commissioner regarding the exploitation of students and school resources in MR’s campaigns, these election law violations have been allowed to continue due to the inefficiency of the local authorities.