Chancellor of Colombo University Ven Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera protests over the appoinment of new Pricipal for Visaka College Colombo despite the Prime Minister’s instruction to appoint the principal of St. Paul’s Girls’ College, Milagiriya, who obtained the highest marks in the interview.
Ven Ananda says that the Education Secretary Prof Kapila Perera has appointed Mrs Manomi Senewiratne who was the Principal of Sumana Balika of Rathnapura and the Thera has written to the President informing him that it is important to appoint the most suitable candidates for the post.
He has also instructed the President to select only those who are qualified and not to appoint those who do not have a lot of experience, and to conduct the interview for the selection of the principal, giving priority to the need.
Opponents of Manomi Seneviratne’s appointment as Visakha principal have stated that she got a scholarship valued at 8 million rupees from ADB to stufy on valuation when she worked previously as the Deputy Commissioner of the Examinations Department. They point such a qualified person has to be recruitted not in a school but in order to obtain an effective national service.
Despite the Commissioner General of Examinations’ objections, Manomi Seneviratne was appointed as the Principal of Sumana Balika, Ratnapura last September, and was summoned for the interview for the selection of the Principal of Visaka in December.
