The Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s comments on the state of the Northern Province’s “fallen” education have been criticised in the North for failing to account for the root causes of poor educational standards across the province.

“If they really want to improve education in the North, the government should be implementing projects to see results in 2-5 years,” said C. V. K. Sivagnanam, the Chair of the Northern Provincial Council.

“Ranil [Wickremesinghe’s] claims that the North’s education will take 10 years to fix is just a delay tactic,” Mr Sivagnanam said, speaking to Tamil Guardian.

“What guarantee is there that governments after them will fulfil the plans? It’s doubtful,” he said.

Mr Sivagnanam also said that the central government interferes excessively with processes devolved to the Northern Provincial Council, such as in the appointment of teachers.

“This has led to a shortage of teachers in deprived areas,” he said.

Further, Mr Sivagnanam said that the government should stop making unilateral decisions in the education sector in the North and should make decisions based on engagement with the Northern Provincial Council and other local stakeholders.

“The NPC has also passed a resolution requesting the transfer of military (Civil Security Department) preschools to the Council’s authority,” Mr Sivagnanam highlighted.

“The funds that the central government and defence ministry give to the CSD to run the preschools should be allocated to the NPC.”

“This government has been in power for three years already and has done nothing so far to improve the education in the  North,” said Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the All Ceylon Teachers’ Association.

“Talk of ten year schemes to improve education are emerging now when their political lives’ are at risk,” he said.

Mr Stalin said the Sri Lankan government’s rhetoric was pointless when local views on the root issues behind poor educational standards went ignored.

“For example military involvement in schools is something we have long been calling on the government to put an end to,” he said.

“At the root cause of poor standards is poverty and lack of job opportunity caused by militarisation following the war. These must be first tackled in order to improve educational standards,” Mr Stalin said.