Kanniya Tamil School reopens after twenty years

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 13:41 GMT]
The Kanniya Government Tamil School Thursday re-opened after twenty years. Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Thursday morning ceremonially re-opened the school and inaugurated the distribution of schoolbooks donated by the UNICEF to newly admitted students.

TNA national list parliamentarian, Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, who was a former teacher and principal, ceremonially taught the class for the first batch of students, sources said.

Newly admitted child of a resttled familiy lighting the traditional oil lamp at the re-opening of Kanniya government Tamil school after twenty years.

Kanniya is a traditional Tamil village, 8 km northwest of Trincomalee town, where the historic seven hot wells with different temperatures are located.

The Kanniya government Tamil school was destroyed in the 1983 pogroms. At that time, the total number of students enrolled was about five hundred. The strength of the teachers was 23. Classes were conducted from Grade 1 to Grade 13, newly appointed Principal Mr.S. Yogarajah said.

"Now only about fifty students of resettled families have been admitted to the school. Except the Principal no other teachers have been appointed till more students are enrolled in coming days," said Trincomalee Zonal Education Director, Mr.K.Thilakaretnam.

Since the 1983 pogroms in which several Tamil people were killed and their Properties destroyed by the Sri Lankan armed forces, the school did not function as the entire village fled to other parts of the district for safety. A majority of them even now stays in welfare centres and refugee camps in Alles garden in the Uppuveli area and elsewhere, sources said.

Since the ceasefire came into operation, displaced people from Kanniya are returning slowly to their lands. The school has been re-opened to get the displaced in welfare centres and refugee camps to return quickly to their lands, sources said.

Mr.Sampanthan said the Kanniya village plays a vital role in the lives of Tamils in the district. "The pristine glory of Kanniya should be safeguarded. The lives of those resettled displaced people should be strengthened in all spheres, ensuring a better and bright future for them," he said.

Mr.Tilak, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE, Mr.Atputhan, Kanniya area political head, Provincial Director of Education Mr. S.Mahalingam and several others also spoke.

Newly enrolled students await for the guests to arrive for the re-opening Kanniya school.