More than 850 schools shut down: Education Minister

Records show there are more than 850 schools in the country that have closed down, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said recently.

He made the remarks during the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education held under his chairmanship in Parliament on Thursday.

Minister Gunawardena said these schools should be put to use and he also said the Government had the capability to do so. A member of the committee pointed out that school buildings were not fully utilised and suggested that steps should be taken to utilise them in the evenings after school.

The chairman of the committee had agreed to this proposal. Meanwhile, a proposal not to release school cut-off marks for the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam was rejected during the meeting. One committee member had made the proposal.

However, a majority of those present had opposed this, arguing that releasing the cut-off marks provides an opportunity for parents to choose a new school for their children based on their results.