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WP schools, preschools reopen from 15th

10 Feb 2021

All schools islandwide to reopen from 15 March: Edu Minister   Health authorities have granted approval for all schools in the the Gampaha and Kalutara Districts of the Western Province to reopen on 15 February, Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday (9). Furthermore, provincial co-ordinating committees have declared that 412 schools out of 492 schools in the Colombo District are safe to be reopened. “The proposal to reopen these schools will be presented to the Director General of Health Services and permission will be obtained from the health authorities to take necessary action to reopen schools in Colombo,” the Minister said. It was revealed that all schools in the areas of Thimbirigasyaya, Kolonnawa, Homagama, Kesbewa, Dehiwala, Moratuwa, and Seethawaka had been declared safe to reopen. Prof. Peiris added that all schools islandwide would reopen on 15 March. Meanwhile, following directives allowing all preschools in the Western Province except those in high-risk areas to reopen on 15 February, divisional co-ordinating committees of each division are to decide whether to reopen their respective preschools, The Morning learnt. Speaking to The Morning yesterday, an official from the Children’s Secretariat said that the Ministry’s decision to allow all preschools except those in high-risk areas to reopen has been communicated to divisional co-ordinating committees and that they are yet to make a decision about the preschools in their respective divisions. “The divisional co-ordinating committees of each divisional secretariat division will make decisions based on the health situation of that division. No decisions have been communicated to the Children’s Secretariat yet,” the official said. Meanwhile, State Minister of Women and Child Development, Preschools and Primary Education, School Infrastructure, and Education Services Piyal Nishantha De Silva had stated recently that all preschools in the Western Province except those in high-risk areas will reopen on 15 February. Addressing the media in Anuradhapura, Prof. Pieris said that all school teachers are expected to be vaccinated, adding that the Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be distributed to all school teachers by the end of this month and the first week of March. “In the event we would not be able to complete the vaccination of school teachers by February, given the large amount of vaccinations taking place, the operation is expected to be completed by March.” Discussions have been held with Covid-19 Vaccine Committee Chairman and Senior Advisor to the President Lalith Weerathunga to prioritise school teachers in the public vaccine drive.


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