SLA denies permission to Vanni IDP children to attend normal schools

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 March 2009, 04:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna refuse permission to the children held in two SLA detainment centres in Kaithadi to attend normal schools near the centre despite efforts by educational officials and UNICEF readiness to offer financial assistance, sources in Jaffna said. The SLA authorities say that there are security problems in transporting the children to the schools and back, the sources added.

Educational officials had made arrangements for the children detained in Saiva Children’s Home and Jaffna University Chiththa Medical faculty hostel, in Kaithadi, to attend normal schools located near the two centres.

Meanwhile, Kodikaamam Government Tamil Mixed School (GTMS) now turned into another SLA detention centre to house civilians fleeing war in Vanni, has begun to function in the temporary huts constructed in a private land near the centre with the help of UNICEF.

The children from Mirusuvil detention centre too attend the above school.

However, the children in this school lack basic educational implements while 186 children have come to the camp recently.

More children are expected to join the school as the number of civilians brought to the detention centre by SLA is rising fast.

The children’s education in these makeshift schools is very much affected by the lack of facilities, the education officials said.