United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said today education blunders in the North was one of the main reason that led to terrorism in Sri Lanka.

He told a news conference the government should keep in mind that the arms struggle in the North began with students being unable to enter universities.
“This happened in 1973, 1974 and 1975. The government should keep this in mind,” he said.

TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said the northern students were highly disturbed and distressed when they were unable to enter university. He said well-to-do parents sent their children to Britain for higher education.

“The first student organisations happened to be the General Union of Eelam Students (GUES) and Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS). They became the first two armed groups. Till then the Tamil struggle was handled by the political leadership. The youth did not get involved,” he said and added that his colleague and EPRLF leader Suresh Premachandran was also one of those educated in Britain and had abandoned his studies to gain military training in Palestine.

Mr. Wikremesinghe said the opposition had suggested a parliamentary select committee to probe the Department of Examination to determine the causes of the present crisis with regard to the GCE A/L Examination.

Former High Court Judge W.M.P.B. Warawewa said education blunders in this country were not only highlighted by opposition political parties but was a burning issue faced by the people.

“It is not a problem faced by a few. It hurts the whole country. If this continues, universities, schools and the whole education sector will have to close down,” he said and added that as a move towards resolving these issues a ‘sathya kriyawa’ will be organized. (Yohan Perera & Nishan Casseem) (Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana)

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