Kuliyapitiya school troubled with Swaziland dance item

Kuliyapitiya students asked to dance naked at CHOGM

  Leaders of countries and other delegations are expected from 54 countries in Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Leaders' conference which is to be held in Sri Lanka next month. The Ministry of Education has issued notice to Madhya Maha Vidyalayas all over the country to come up with a presentation of cultural items of welcome based on each of those 54 countries.

  As such, authorities of each school have been compelled to present dance items suitable to the culture of Britain, Australia and each such country after conducting a proper study in that connection. After the relevant countries were listed and each item was allotted ... Kuliyapitiya Madhya Maha Vidyalaya has had to face a grave problem. It is because they have been asked to depict a dance which is in line with the culture of Swaziland.

  It has caused inconvenience for students of that school to present a cultural item based on the nudity akin to that land in order to welcome representatives from that country of Swaziland. A situation of unpleasant has now arisen among parents of the students as a result of this issue.

  At their ceremonial annual dance known as Reeds Dance, participating virgins are expected to expose their breasts during the dance. This was revealed sometime ago  across the media when the chief of Swaziland arrived in Sri Lanka. Swaziland is a country which is still in an undeveloped social system and had even been subjected to mockery even in parliament here too.

  Parents of Kuliyapitiya Madhya Maha Vidyalaya have criticised this situation while the Lanka Guru Sangamaya too has mentioned that the Ministry of Education has subjected the children to humour by doing such funny things. The Guru Sangamaya has further pointed out that students have been brought to the streets and that the Ministry of Education has no right to do so; particularly with the 3rd term of the school drawing nigh and that their education is hampered in the process by such activity which cannot be approved under any circumstances. They question as to whether there is no other way in which this dance item could be presented  or to give advice in this respect.

Seen below are some photos of the Swaziland cultural dance items..