With a view to curb the dengue menace that is spreading these days, coming Friday (28), Saturday (29) and Sunday (30) are declared to be days for cleaning up the environment of all schools in the Island to prevent dengue spreading. The Minister of Education, Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has instructed his officials to this effect.
Accordingly, on Friday, the educational activities in the schools will not be held and instead the society consisting of children, their parents, teachers, past pupils and neighbours are to get together to clean up the school and neighbourhood. The Ministry of Health has come forward to help this program.
It is also decided to permit the students who call at the school on Friday to come in their school uniforms or any other attire suitable for shramadana work.
In addition to this on Saturday and Sunday the dengue eradicating program is to be carried with the help of all. Smoking out the dengue mosquitos and other dengue eradication will be carried out with the coordination of Health Officials and others. This responsibility lies with the principals, it is decided.
Minister of Education, Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, speaking on this matter expressed that the dengue eradication is carried to protect the school children and that it is the duty of everyone to carry out this. The elders should have the habit to be responsible for the upkeep of their house, gardens and school clean. In order to achieve this, disposal of garbage should be managed. They should see to it that there are no breeding places for flies and mosquitos and guide the children to this habit, the Minister continued.
A circular explaining the execution of the three day program from Friday is to be released in the coming days.
