Catholic Church and Sri Lankan Government discuss school administration

Representatives of the Catholic Church and the Sri Lankan government met at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss administrative matters regarding state-managed Catholic schools. The discussions, co-chaired by Minister of Science and Technology Chrishantha Abeysena and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, focused on establishing mechanisms to provide teaching staff for Catholic religious studies and reviewing the recruitment of priests, nuns, and brothers into the teaching profession.

Participants also addressed the need for Ministry of Education support in the administration of these schools. During the meeting, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith expressed appreciation to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the regular tripartite discussions held with the Church.

Additionally, Cardinal Ranjith urged the government to continue investigating the environmental damage to Sri Lanka’s maritime zone resulting from the X-Press Pearl disaster. He emphasized the importance of ensuring all students have the opportunity to practice their respective religions without discrimination while addressing broader challenges within the education sector.