HIV Stigma : Ganemulla School Girl Granted New National School

METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE-05:15 PM APR 18 2018

The Education Ministry has decided to grant a new national school to the 10 year old school girl in Ganemulla who had to gone through a stigma at her school, because her mother had been diagnosed as being HIV positive.

Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam announced this decision during his meeting with the school girl and her parents at the Education Ministry yesterday (18). Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake also participated in the meeting.

Kariyawasam said that the girl’s father would be given a job based on his educational qualifications.
Moreover, an independent investigation committee will be established to probe into incidents like this to ensure school children not facing any kind of harassment in their schools in the future. All the schools, even private and international schools will be regulated by this proposed independent committee, the minister said.

The school girl came under harassment of her school authorities, other children and their parents when the fact that her mother was diagnosed as being HIV positive was revealed in 2017. She was studying at Ganemulla Kudabollatha Sri Sumangala Vidyalaya, Gampaha at that time.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) had to interfere with the matter to ensure the school does not harass the child. She resumed her studies at the same school after that. However, the girl on 22 February wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena, complaining that the principal of her school was allegedly harassing her.

The girl in her letter to the President mentioned that the principal showed media reports about her story from 2017 to other children using a projector on 22 February.