SL scraps military training for teachers, students

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new government said on Saturday it is scrapping compulsory military training for school teachers and undergraduates.
The three-week army training, mandatory under ousted leader Mahinda Rajapakse’s administration, had resulted in at least three deaths in recent years and was deeply unpopular among student and teacher unions.
The new government that came to power following the January 8 presidential election, won by Maithripala Sirisena, has vowed to reduce the role of the military in Sri Lankan society.
Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said the government had “concluded that military training is not necessary for school teachers”.
The government has decided to remove the military ranks given to school principals, the minister told reporters.