News

Johnny sees sinister political hand in disruption of online teaching project

Published

4 years ago

2021/08/5

Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando says sinister political elements have disrupted children’s education again.

Speaking to journalists after a progress review meeting at his Ministry yesterday, the Minister said that schools had been closed here following the outbreak of the global pandemic. “The teachers however tried their level best to teach the children by opting for online education. They did so despite many technical and financial challenges. Most of them even spent out of their own pockets to teach the children. We respect and are grateful to those teachers for their dedicated service. But the unions of the three percent party dragged those teachers to the roads for protests and rallies thereby disrupting the online education and putting the future of our children in jeopardy and exposing the lives of those teachers to the deadly virus. This is not the first time that this three percent group has disrupted the education of the children of this country. There are enough instances that they did so. They killed many teachers, shut down the schools and universities, dragged the school children to protests and paved the way for the collapse of education during the 1987-1990 period of terror. They even brought the appellation of land of cannibals to this nation. Their actions created backlogs in university education delaying the education process for years and an entire generation had to suffer as a result.

The President and the Prime Minister have pledged to rectify this 24-year-old issue of salary anomalies in the teaching profession. We have determined that we would not leave it to another government to solve. We have four more years to solve this problem once and for all. Knowing that we would rectify the errors that created salary anomalies, the bankrupt unionists instigate the teachers to take to the streets. The union leaders seem to have the opportunistic plan to show off that the problem would be solved due to their protests and to claim credit for it. However, by opting for this course of action, they not only disrupted the education of children but also put the lives of teachers in danger. The teachers who attend protests to hold up placards in the road and participate in marches violating all health guidelines finally go to their homes carrying the deadly virus with them. By doing so they also put the lives of their family members in danger. Thereby the unionists put the lives of the entire population of 22 million in danger by paving the way for the fourth wave of the pandemic in this country.

“Although we as a nation have been hit hard by the pandemic, we continue to pay the salaries of teachers and other public servants unlike many other countries. We call on the unionists not to hold the future and education of our children to ransom to achieve their narrow political objectives. The dream of every parent is to provide a decent education for their children and I call on the cabal of unionists not to shoot that dream down by the gun called narrow political gains. The most worthwhile thing that the teachers could do at this time is to help restore the education of children. In Russia Lenin once said that the best should be to the children, but our local Stalin is disrupting our children’s education.”

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Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project discussed in detail

Published

5 hours ago

2025/04/9

Priyan

A meeting between Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and relevant ministry officials was held on Tuesday (08) at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the development plans to be implemented in Sri Lanka under three zones, in collaboration with the Surbana Jurong Institute of Singapore and 18 Ministries.

During the meeting it was discussed in detail regarding the plans for the Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project. The officials from Singapore-based urban planning and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong also joined the discussion virtually.

Progress reports on the three projects were reviewed in detail and Dr. Kumanayake instructed the officials to identify any deficiencies and finalize the necessary actions within the next two weeks.

The discussion also addressed delays in securing necessary approvals for investments under the existing regulatory framework, as well as the urgent need to revise certain legislative instruments to better facilitate national development.

The meeting was attended by Secretary to the Prime Minister G.P. Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russel Aponsu, Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing U.G. Ranjith Ariyaratne, and several senior officials from the respective ministries.

News

Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]

Published

10 hours ago

2025/04/9

Priyan

The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued a Warm Weather Advisory for 09 April 2025

The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, and Western provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned below is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

Sajith asks govt. to submit its MoUs with India to Parliament

Published

14 hours ago

2025/04/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Jayasumana raises possibility of Lanka ending up with “Quad’

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has said it is the responsibility of the NPP government to submit the MoUs/agreements that were recently signed with India to the respective Sectoral Oversight Committees (SOCs).

Premadasa said so when The Island raised the issue with him. He said that during his meeting with Premier Modi his focus had been on opening the Indian market for Sri Lankan garment exports.

The seven MoUs/agreements signed on 05 April included defence cooperation, energy, Eastern Province development and digitalisation.

Meanwhile, the Vice President of Sarvajana Balaya and former lawmaker Prof. Channa Jayasumana said that the government owed an explanation whether the recently signed MoU on defence cooperation directly or indirectly attached Sri Lanka to the Quad security alliance, consisting of the US, Australia, Japan and India.

The former SLPPer raised the issue at a meeting held at Boralesgamuwa on Monday (07) in support of Sarvajana Balaya candidates contesting the May 6 LG polls.

Prof. Jayasumana urged that the MoU on Defence Cooperation be placed before Parliament, and the people, without further delay. The academic who served as State Health Minister during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s foreign policy direction should be dealt with.

By Shamindra Ferdinando