Parents of several children studying at Royal Institute have unified in raising further concerns about the manner in which the school is implementing unlawful methods to run the institute, especially with the introduction of its controversial war veteran Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne as its Administration Director.
Kamal Gunaratne
Muscling his way through the retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne has now terminated two children of two of Royal Institute’s Branches for non payment of school fees, which incidentally is in its current term.
Several children were earlier left humiliated when they were incarcerated in classrooms and not permitted to attend classes by the war veteran Gunaratne, who employed guerrilla like war tactics to force parents to pay their pending school fees.
Colombo Telegraph reliably leans that the two children terminated by the school recently are those whose parents are the leaders of each respective student/parent body at its branches located at Havelock Park and Nugegoda respectively.
An official of the Ministry of Education when contacted by Colombo Telegraph said: “Royal Institute cannot simply terminate children for non payment of school fees, especially if it is in the current term. These terminations need the approval of the Provincial Education Director’s too. This is the issue parents face when they enroll their children to study in private institutes such as Royal Institute. This is a business that they run. This is why the government wants to bring all International Schools under the Ministry of Education in order to streamline unlawful practices that these so-called businessmen employ when running educational businesses such as these. It’s all about the money, not about the welfare of the children. They do not have checks and balances in place and also parents have no one to turn to when things such as these unlawful terminations of children’s education take place”
Meanwhile earlier in 2014 the management of Royal Institute issued a letter to the parents stating that school fees will only be increased bi-annually by 12%.
However Royal Institute went on to break its commitment by increasing school fees annually by huge proportions leaving many parents struggling to pay exorbitant fees.
A parent speaking on condition of anonymity said “The war veteran retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne is employing tactics similarly used to wipe out the JVP and the LTTE. He probably feels by terminating these two kids he can silence the parent bodies as the two vocal parents have been eliminated. He is sadly mistaken. He his using methods of thuggery here. Why terminate those children unnecessarily for their non payment of school fees? We are within the same ongoing school term. Surely there must be someone who could reinstate these two kids, after all its their education that’s being compromised here. It is very sad what Royal Institute is doing”.
Several parents contacted Colombo Telegraph to voice their concerns regarding the unlawful methods that Royal Institute is currently implementing.
Shockingly it can be revealed that even the safety standards being implemented by the school compromises the safety of its children.
Letters to this effect have been sent to the school by parents.
However nothing has been done to rectify these short comings still. (By Janaka Ranaweera)
Letter issued by Royal Institute to parents stating school fees to be inceased bi-annually
Letter sent by parents to Royal Institute under registered post highlighting serious safety concerns in its Nugegoda Branch
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Royal Institute: Kids Suffer As ‘War Veteran’ Kamal Gunaratne’s Thuggery Continues
rbh / March 7, 2019
To be on Muscling mode for nonpayment of school fees.
Whom should lead a Institute’s Branches those who has experience this line or Majors focused on the discipline of the school The teachers are trained to To motivate them and make them believe that they can achieve whatever they want even if the teacher knows that he/she can’t. And the major are trained to Your job is to lead soldiers, to ensure they’re trained and ready to fight our, unmatched leadership
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gal banda / March 7, 2019
G.T. Bandara was my savior in AL Maths, a genius, a disciplinarian like ‘kataya’ ( Mr.Gunasekera the ex- DP ) in Royal College. It is unfortunate he had to team up with a person (a war veteran) and pull this entire institute to a crevice.
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Desperate Sinhalaya / March 7, 2019
This proves how abusive these so called self proclaimed giant war heroes have been.
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I think these men should be locked up forever going by due investigations. Just because heart experts saved the lives of serious patients, should we allow those surgeons to rape those female/male patients ?
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These thugs have been making every effort to make the PEOPLE#S OPINION in favour of them under what they called wiyathmaga filled with number one branded corrupted men. They try to market their self-proclaimations on and on, by putting NATION#S Wadakaya( former defence secretary) in their podiums.
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I think people are not that STUPID as they appeared to be. People today feel these men should be sent to PERMENENT jail sessions and get them rehabilitated accordingly if at all the nation to be blessed with a future free from CRIMEs.
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I would LIKE if MEDIA men would pose the question to these men, if their offsprings would have been taken away the way those 11 boys were disappeared how these bugger/ socalled heroes would do ? The tears they then would shed are not similar to what those victimized mothers shed in colombo circles ?
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Upali / March 7, 2019
What can you expect of this hooligan who once said that they will kill all those who support the new constitution and how their bodies should be buried. Authorities were silent.
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Native Vedda / March 7, 2019
CT
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You are aware of the fact that Hopper Sirisena believes War Zeroes should not be punished for criminal activities because they are Ranavirus even if they raped his wife, daughters, son, mother, …………………..
The schools, parents or the police cannot go against President’s principled position.
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Pararajasingham / March 7, 2019
A failed buddhist state. Just like myanmar
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Amarasiri / March 7, 2019
Retired Kamal Gunaratna,
It is all right to be retired, when you are old. Sooner or later, you will die for sure, but why do you want to retire students, well before their time? Let them learn the Para- 2,509 year-Old “civilization “ in the illegally occupied Land of Native Veddah Aethho, grow up, do the damage like their elders since, independence, and retire 50 to 70 years later.
When you die, replacements are needed.
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Estate Labourer / March 7, 2019
Hope he is not keeping an AK-47 in his office somewhere!
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Kugan / March 7, 2019
It’s utter humiliation for the children to carry on their education,even forget reinstate they might traumatised and embraced among other children.
School should consider of the children welfare,people circumstances change,should have seek for other options.
This is the oppression as usual by heavy handed,but luckily it’s on the media,normally they report 2 children were dismissed for their naughty behavior and praise the war mongers saviors of 2500 history,
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Siva / March 7, 2019
Its a great idea. Army veterans should be employed across schools in the south. The racists who were cheering the genocide of tamil people and these military men. Are the same ones who are now complaining about these soldiers when they abuse their own children in the south.
I say good. I hope Shavendra Silva, the biggest child abuser in the SL military is allowed take over many schools in the south
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Saman / March 7, 2019
Look at this man…
Monster…. Nothing else we can see.
They are the people who created BLOODY WAR and earned millions and billions of rupees and dollars along with Gotabaya.
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K.Pillai / March 7, 2019
One thought the clientele of ‘The Royal Institute’ were from the ‘Lankan Elites Sans Frontieres’, who in turn are the rich and the nouveau riche, who in turn got wealthy shouting “Ape Anduwa”.
Looks like there are hardworking parents who scrape the last rupee hoping their children, if educated in English, will find their way into the ‘Culture’ of corruption/nepotism/impunity.
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Srima / March 7, 2019
There are thugs in parliament, and now thugs running schools. What hope for our children and our future?
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Raj-UK / March 7, 2019
The education system in SL has failed. The average person is unable to find a decent in school for his / her child without resorting to bribery, failing which, has to pay exorbitant fees for a private education. As a result, private tutories have sprung up like mushrooms, often offering half baked courses. Education is big business & the Govt., despite having a Ministry of Education & a Higher Education Ministry, seems to have no control or regulatory authority over exploitation of even primary & secondary education.
Is Royal Institute such a valued institute that the parents are submissive, instead, of boycotting the academy?
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edwin / March 7, 2019
I heard he was involved in the murder of a Sri Lankan attache at Brazil Sri Lankan embassy when Deputy Ambassador
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Ronald / March 7, 2019
The things this article does not mention whatsoever.
1) Compared to most private schools the school fees of Royal Institute is VERY reasonable.
2) The Principal of Royal Institute Nugegoda Branch WAS heckled by those parents who ended up going to Mirihana Police Station due to it and the fact that your previous article just stated it to be a “Bogus Complaint” showed your stance on the entire matter which seems to be completely one sided considering the fact that you don’t even have a SINGLE statement from the school.
3) The school is a private school,In order for ANYTHING in the private sector to grow it needs to be profitable and the flow of money should be streamlined in order to keep the school functioning,Allowing even a few students delay school payments without any repercussions would lead to more students doing the same causing issues in the entire system.Things like non payment in government schools is not an issue Because most of their funds are government funds combined with students fundraising for occasions
4)Royal Institute in terms of education has ALOT of high achievers compared to MOST schools in Sri Lanka.
There’s 2 document in this article,1 About the bi annual school fee increase of 12% and the Safety standard issues one written by a parent with NO statements of school fee increases.Royal Institute sends letters in advance to parents about school fee payments so these incidents do not occur abruptly
The Moral here is do not put your children into private schools if you can’t afford it.Because as mentioned earlier Royal Institute has Very reasonable school fees compared to most other private schools and if you don’t believe me just check around schools like CIS,BIS,OASIS and any other schools with high education standards.
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K.Pillai / March 7, 2019
The Royal Institute (RI) is for the Lankan elites. So was SAITM. Is, near RI, a SAITM cloud gathering? Lankan solution:
MS must send Rtd. Maj. Gen Kamal Gunaratne to Geneva.
PS: Kamal must carry only one copy of ‘Road to Nandikadal’ to put him to sleep.
Kamal may take with him copies of MR’s booklet on ‘Human Rights’.
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Remind RI that Porter-Ambassador ASP Liyanage will be back.
PS: ASP L also hates school children.
QED!
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Ronald / March 7, 2019
The things this article does not mention whatsoever.
1) Compared to most private schools the school fees of Royal Institute is VERY reasonable.
2) The Principal of Royal Institute Nugegoda Branch WAS heckled by those parents who ended up going to Mirihana Police Station due to it and the fact that your previous article just stated it to be a “Bogus Complaint” showed your stance on the entire matter which seems to be completely one sided considering the fact that you don’t even have a SINGLE statement from the school.
3) The school is a private school,In order for ANYTHING in the private sector to grow it needs to be profitable and the flow of money should be streamlined in order to keep the school functioning,Allowing even a few students delay school payments without any repercussions would lead to more students doing the same causing issues in the entire system.Things like non payment in government schools is not an issue Because most of their funds are government funds combined with students fundraising for occasions
4)Royal Institute in terms of education has ALOT of high achievers compared to MOST schools in Sri Lanka.
There’s 2 document in this article,1 About the bi annual school fee increase of 12% and the Safety standard issues one written by a parent with NO statements of school fee increases.Royal Institute sends letters in advance to parents about school fee payments so these incidents do not occur abruptly
The Moral here is do not put your children into private schools if you can’t afford to put them into private schools.Because as mentioned earlier Royal Institute has Very reasonable school fees compared to most other private schools and if you don’t believe me just check around schools like CIS,BIS,OASIS and any other schools with high education standards.
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g.s.manjula / March 13, 2019
To:Ronald
1.Reasonable enough to swell school fees by 29%, which is not at all according to agreement.
2.The school can take actions against False allegations, why not?
3.Yes,we do agree, and yes school fees swell but not the salaries of any teacher or any facilities…which are favourable to students.
4.School isn’t the only answer to high accomplishments, Tuition has a role too….
*This began as a 29% increase but eventually turned out to be a 12% increase due to an in-writing from 250+ parents.
*Yes they do not occur abruptly but deliberately in order to humiliate students of parents who had already accused the school to the police.
*And your right again….But I don’t think not paying the fees before the deadline is REASONABLE enough to terminate a child from school.
*OASIS is the only registered(BOI APPROVED) international school in our country while all the others are PVT LTD. Royal Institute is not even close for you to speak in comparison.
IN 2002 THERE HAD BEEN 9 LOWER NURSERY CLASSES BUT AS IN 2019 MERELY A CLASS IS AVAILABLE WITH 17 STUDENTS. SO I CAN’T ANTICIPATE OF “ALOT of high achievers” FROM ROYAL INSTITUTE ANYMORE.
I hope this cleared your vague confusion.
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Thappu / March 7, 2019
Educational institutions require qualified Administrators. Appointing administrators just for the purpose of ensuring that fees are received on time does not augur well for education. A child is not responsible for his/her school fees. Sacking a student for not making payments on time is not a sign of a good institution.
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A complaint against the administrator ought to have been made when the non-academic was brought in. The parents failed, in that regards.
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There ought to have been a role for the Ministry, – Overseeing the school administration. The government is at fault for overlooking this requirement.
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It is time the Minister intervenes to bring about sanity.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / March 7, 2019
What civilians don’t understand is, military people have special rights and privileges. What Maj Gen. Gunaratne is doing is exercising his rights and privileges. Normally people don’t have the same rights.
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Samson Gunawardhana / March 8, 2019
Do you really think that millitary personnel after they are no longer belonging to millitary should still abuse their previous rights ? THe kind of rights dont exist. But lanken culture permit any idiots to abuse anything the way they would want it to handle them.
Just imagine. Rajapakshe as a former President still abuse his previous rights. Unlike it isthe case in Europe and north america, they would not behave honestly to their conscience. So how can people ever learn to be honest ? Specially people one had rendered services to forces should be exemplary in order folks to maintain dignity and respect of life in a country.
It is really right to subgroup that ours of nations are belonging to real 3rd world.
These people would never be exemplary. Future generations would be worst no doubt about that.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / March 8, 2019
Mr Gunawardhana,
With all due respect, I have to disagree with your post. Soldiers, especially those who were at the front lines are revered in any country.
Here in Canada, the US, UK, Russia or wherever, ex servicemen receive front row seats to any government sponsored event. Their children receive special scholarships to Universities. In the US, even the next of Kin of Purple Heart soldiers have special privileges.
Here in Canada. although I haven’t served this country as a serviceman, even if I say I was a serviceman in another country, I get preferential treatment. If I go to a hospital and in need of blood, no monkey gets blood until I am done. That is the kind of respect soldiers have in this country.
But of course in Sri Lanka, where gratitude is an unknown value, you can see scum bags disrespecting soldiers at every nook and corner. Even right here in this forum you can see how a soldier is disrespected by these scum bags.
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Raj-UK / March 8, 2019
Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera
You may be able to convince ‘frog in the well’ Sri Lankans about the rubbish you are talking but you won’t be convincing many. Are you aware of how many homeless var veterans there are sleeping rough on the streets of UK & US? The UK Govt. has many assistance programs for security forces veterans returning to civilian life but there are no preferential treatment & privileges or special scholarships for their children. There may be the odd barber who would give a discount for ex service men but so would pensioners & hospital staff. As for special hospital treatment, for your information, doctors in civilised & democratic countries abide by their professional oath & treat everybody alike, even criminals.
Your reference to monkeys & scumbags should be for thugs in security forces, not average citizens who are not intimidated by them or hero worshiped as expected by you. By the way, I am wondering why a presumed SL patriot with a high esteem for the security forces retiring in a foreign country which has given refuge to many Tamils whom you obviously despise. I may not be a patriot in your understanding but I want to return to my country of birth upon my retirement even though I would have a relatively better hassle free lifestyle with the generous social services I will be entitled in my old age.
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JohnSiva / March 9, 2019
This is not entirely true. In the USA there alot of homeless war veterans. I personally knew a Vietnam veteran who lives almost in poverty. He also accused the American government of destroying records of many soldiers who served in that war, so they would not have to give them any kind of assistance when they returned with injuries. Even in Sri Lanka it was out in the open for a short while that the government was refusing to classify dead soldiers as dead, so they would not have to pay their families insurance. There were even protests on the streets regarding this some years back
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Native Vedda / March 8, 2019
Retarded
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“What Maj Gen. Gunaratne is doing is exercising his rights and privileges. “
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While this former uniformed thug exploring his a******e the physicists elsewhere have found a Way to ‘Untangle’ Information trapped in a Black Hole – according to livescience.com.
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Raj-UK / March 8, 2019
Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera
”…….military people have special rights and privileges”
Wonder what your level of education is to come out with such a stupid statement or is it sheer arrogance as well? It is obvious most SL army personnel are all ‘brawn & no brains’ but not being able to go higher than just a Lt. (if what you say you are is correct) in the army indicates that you are dumber than even the average military thug. Stupid statements, tough talk & acts of aggression has confirmed to the world that war crime allegations are true.
At the end of the 2nd world war, there was a saying in Germany. ‘First they came for the gypsies & communists, I didn’t say anything because I was not one of them, then they came for Jews & intellectuals but I didn’t say anything because I was not one of them & now they have come for me & there is nobody to say anything”. It seems in SL that if the expected special rights & privileges mentality by the so called ‘Ranaviruvo’ continues unchallenged, we will be saying very soon that first they came for the Tamils & now they are coming for us.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / March 8, 2019
Raj-UK,
If you are a Sinhalese as you say, then we came for you long before we came for the Tamils. And compared to you lot, we were much nicer to the Tamils. At least while in custody, the Tamils knew how to obey our orders. As for the Sinhalese, only when the tire was half burnt, they learnt to obey us.
Btw, I served in the Army only for 2.5 years. About 18 months of that was stationed in the North, the rest I served down south. President Premadasa gave us executive powers to finish the Sinhalese rowdies off. And yes Sir, we nearly did that job to perfection.
I was honorably discharged for a disciplinary infraction. If you wanted to know more details, I just have to remind you that under the protocols of the Geneva convention, I don’t have to tell you any.
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Sinhala_Man / March 7, 2019
I’m sure that the concerns voiced here are genuine. However, there are even worse things happening in education today. It is true that this Major General Kamal Gunaratne has a terrible reputation, and should not be given responsibilities in a school.
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As for this Mr G.T. Bandara, he had a reputation as a very fine teacher, and he has built this school up to be a quite enviable institution. There may well be certain things now that are not now right in the school, but it is unlikely that the Education Ministry will be able to do much. This school is quite simply not one that is recognised by the government. That this is an unsatisfactory state of affairs is very true.
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The Education Ministry’s first responsibility is towards the schools that it runs directly; next towards those 72 Private Schools that are “recognised”. Some terrible things are going on in some of these schools. They have been highlighted in articles, comments are made but there are no follow-ups. As with most things in Sri Lanka.
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As for the issue here: when parents enroll their children in a privately run school, they must necessarily be prepared to pay their fees regularly. I fear that too many comments are emanating from those who have not bothered to think clearly on this fact.
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kevinj / March 8, 2019
Dear Mr. Bandar
you were one of the key personnel who I believe was instrumental in providing quality education via private sector ..You did hire superb and qualified lectures to lecture and run the management of RI. why did you go a head an hire a a person who has brought disgraced to the forces and the country.these types of people are not fit run school cant you see what he is doing to the institution you built with your hard work .he is destroying every thing you ever built.please do sack this worthless idiot and do a damage control hire a personnel from the education sector to run you institution .This is the best advice i could give
Regards
Kevin
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Dias / March 8, 2019
I feel this article is very one-sided…….when Colombo Telegraph gets a knot in their panties, they generally tend to go hell-for-leather based on selective disclosure…….There are people and institutions that CT targets blatantly, I wish for the the integrity of the news blog, the editor demand higher journalistic standards from his or her writers! I hope you do choose to publish this comment!
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Bimal R / March 8, 2019
WTH is this about ? Pay the damn fees on time. Simple as that.. It is a private institute and they need to run the operation right ? If not, who is going to pay the teachers + bare the other admin related costs ? If the costs are increasing, shift the kid to an affordable school or cut down on other expenses to support the increase – best is to discuss with the management. Not throw stones at an admin who ensures the system runs. Seriously Colombo Telegraph, didn’t you have any other reason to bash a war hero ?
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Rom / March 8, 2019
Where is the Government ? with all powerful Prime Minister ? Education Minister ? Cabinet ? President ??? They are not seeing this ? even if they torture a student they may look other way .
DO WE NEED A GOVT’ ?? like this ?
No Law , No Rule, No Decency , even bookie owners can start schools like this & close down when they don’t have money. Tt would be like Finance companies failing one after the other due to mismanagement & non- governance by Govt’.’s Central Bank.
Education minster is answerable for this .
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MHU / March 8, 2019
This school I studied allowed us to extend our payment deadlines for 2-3 months during dire family situations. I can’t believe the school I studied is doing this today.
War veterans are supposed to be harsh, give orders and make sure things are done one way or another, this kind of leadership doesn’t belong to a school.
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ramona therese fernando / March 9, 2019
“Leading private educational institutes in Colombo producing excellent results.”
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That statement is the crux of everything wrong in our nation. Education is Sri Lanka is non-democratic, and for the privileged few, and those who want their children to climb up the social ladder, and mostly to climb the social ladder in Lankan communities in western lands.
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Education should be across the board for all, and the government should strive to this aim. It’s easy enough to manage in a small country like Sri Lanka. Private schools such as this one should be dismantled in the name of democracy of the masses, and for the functionality of the whole nation.
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Wera / March 12, 2019
Kamal Guneratne is a thug. He is an acolyte of the master thug and muderer Gotler. What business does this institute think think it will accomplish by appointing this SOB to run administration.
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Indrani Weebedde / March 12, 2019
I admired Kamal when he was in the Army leading the LTTE war. After he got close to Gota after the war he became corrupt, arrogant, brutal and foul mouth.
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g.,s, manjula / March 13, 2019
1.Reasonable enough to swell school fees by 29%, which is not at all according to agreement.
2.The school can take actions against False allegations, why not?
3.Yes,we do agree, and yes school fees swell but not the salaries of any teacher or any facilities…which are favourable to students.
4.School isn’t the only answer to high accomplishments, Tuition has a role too….
*This began as a 29% increase but eventually turned out to be a 12% increase due to an in-writing from 250+ parents.
*Yes they do not occur abruptly but deliberately in order to humiliate students of parents who had already accused the school to the police.
*And your right again….But I don’t think not paying the fees before the deadline is REASONABLE enough to terminate a child from school.
*OASIS is the only registered private school in our entire country. Royal Institute isn’t even close enough for you to speak in comparison.
*IN 2002 THERE HAD BEEN 9 LOWER NURSERY CLASSES BUT AS IN 2019 MERELY A CLASS IS AVAILABLE WITH 17 STUDENTS. SO I DON’T THINK I CAN ANTICIPATE OF “ALOT of high achievers” FROM ROYAL INSTITUTE ANYMORE.
I hope this cleared your vague confusion.
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