Royal Institute: Viyathmaga Kamal Gunaratne Puts NCPA, Education Ministry And Police In A Major General Soup

MARCH 18, 2019

The unlawful sacking of a 12 year old grade 7 student of the Royal Institute Nugegoda Branch by its Director of Administration Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne, has now triggered the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to summon officials of the Ministry of Education, National Child Protection Bureau and the Mirihana Police Women/Child Abuse Protection Unit for ignoring a complaint made by the student’s parent to each of their respective offices on the 25th of January 2019.

The Grade 7 student has been deprived of an education since the Royal Institute Nugegoda Branch unlawfully terminated the student on the 25th of January 2019.

Based on a complaint filed by the parent bearing number HRC/2989/18 to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, it summoned its meeting with the three respective bodies for a meeting which is to be held on the 22nd of March 2019 at their 6th floor office at 14, R.A.De Mel Mawatha Colombo 4.

The parent seeking relief has also officially filed complaints at the Police Commission, President’s Office and also the Child Court at Battaramulla.

The Child Court at Battaramulla in its bid to hear the complaint bearing number 5376/P has summoned officials of the Royal Institute, the parent and the child to a meeting with the presiding Judge on the 19th of March 2019.

The unethical practice employed by the Royal Institute also deprived the student who was eagerly waiting to go on his school class trip on the 27th of February 2019. The student had also paid the class trip fee which was Rs 3,700. However the Royal Institute, who had sent a letter by registered post to the parent on the 25th of February 2019 stating that the child’s education has been terminated, ejected the student from his class at the commencement of school on the 26th of February 2019 and had him sit in the school office the entire day.

Despite being deprived of an education on that day, the child was also exposed to much ridicule by other staff members who happened to pass him by whilst been made to sit in the school office.

The school refunded the Rs 3,700 to the child and stated that he won’t be going on the school trip with his class mates the following day.

This entire saga began in September 2018 when Royal Institute much against a letter issued to the parents in 2014 went on to increase the school fees by exorbitant proportions.

Many parents found it difficult to meet the hiked up fees when school commenced for the new academic year in September 2010, despite the school stating that fees would be increased bi-annually only by 12%. The school in fact increased the school fees annually.

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