Government officials and representatives of the Catholic Church met at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday afternoon to discuss issues affecting Catholic schools that have been taken over by the state.
The discussion was co-chaired by Minister of Science and Technology Chrishantha Abeysena and Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, according to a statement from the President’s Media Division.
What was discussed
The meeting reviewed administrative problems at government-managed Catholic schools, the development of a mechanism for providing teaching staff for Catholic religious studies, and progress in recruiting Catholic priests, nuns and brothers into the teaching profession.
Participants also examined how the Ministry of Education could better support the administration and day-to-day functioning of those schools.
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith thanked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the government, on behalf of the Catholic Church, for agreeing to hold discussions with the Church three times a year.
Cardinal raises X-Press Pearl
The Cardinal also used the meeting to press a separate issue, emphasising the need for the government to continue investigating the damage caused to Sri Lanka’s maritime zone by the X-Press Pearl disaster.
He said his aspiration was for all students, without discrimination, to have the opportunity to learn and practise their own religions, and stressed the need to address the challenges currently facing the education sector.
Bishops Harold Anthony Perera, Wimal Siri Jayasuriya and Maxwell Silva attended along with other clergy. Officials present included Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa and Additional Secretary for School Affairs W. A. Neelika Perera.
