HSZ blocks progress of Hartley and Methodist schools

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 18:06 GMT]
School development society officials in Jaffna complained Thursday that the progress of Hartley College and the Methodist Girls High School, premier educational institutions in the Northen Province and located in Point Pedro in the Vadamaradchi division, has been set back as these institutions come under a high security zone imposed by the Sri Lankan security forces.

Subsequent to the capture of the Jaffna district by the Sri Lankan security forces in 1995, the Sri Lanka Army established a camp in Point Pedro 1996 in an area that encompasses Hartley College and the Methodist Girls High School, located close to the harbour.

The SLA occupied some of the buildings of these schools, but moved out of the buildings last year after the ceasefire came into operation. However, the security forces still have their presence close to the schools, which has hampered the development of these institutions, education sources said.

International and national non-governmental groups are not showing any interest in assisting these schools as they come under the high security zone, officials said.

Meanwhile, school development societies are taking steps to launch an agitation campaign demanding the removal of checkpoints close to these schools and to open the access roads to these schools, development society officials said.

The Sri Lanka Army, meantime, has accused the management of these institutions of allowing their students to engage in activities against the SLA, sources said.

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