Schools closed down for a week in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 10:42 GMT]
Directed by the Ministry of Education, Northern Province Education Ministry Secretary instructed Jaffna Education Officials to postpone the start of the second term of all schools in the peninsula Tuesday for a week so that they could be used to lodge the civilians fleeing war in Vanni, sources in Jaffna said. Government officials, directed by their superiors to be ready to receive Vanni civilians in their thousands, had dispatched a large number of buses to bring them to the peninsula Monday. But so far no one has been brought to Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.

Meanwhile, Jaffna Government Agent convened an urgent meeting Monday afternoon in Jaffna Secretariat of all the Departmental Heads and officials to discuss plans to meet the needs of Vanni civilians expected to arrive in their thousands, according to government information.

Providing the civilians with temporary lodgings and their basic needs was the top priority subject discussed in the Monday meeting.

The postponement of the opening of schools for a week was a decision taken to make the schools temporary lodgings for the civilians.

Various other decisions related to the civilians from Vanni too were taken in the meeting to handle the problems arising in meeting their immediate needs, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.

Ministry of Eduaction in Batharamulla in Colombo has directed the Northern Province Educational Secretary to postpone opening of all schools in Northern Province for a week, the sources added.