The economic crisis may no longer make headlines but it has a devastating effect on education.
By Ishara Danasekara & Tom DonkinShe's up an hour before her two sisters and two brothers so that she can scrape some bright red gloss off her fingernails.But her siblings must stay at home - her family can only afford to send her.
While school is free in Sri Lanka, meals are not provided. When you add in the cost of uniforms and transport, education is a luxury Priyanthika can no longer afford.She says she needs about 400 rupees per day for each child if they are to return to school."All these kids used to go to school every day. I don't have the money to send them now," she says.But her younger sister Dulanjalee lies in bed crying, upset that today is not her turn.
Mr Weerasinghe says student attendance fell as low as 40% before he was forced to ask teachers to bring in extra food to keep students returning to class.He believes the government is wilfully unaware of the increasing numbers of families giving up on education because of the cost."Our teachers are the ones who see the empty lunch boxes," he says. "The real victims of this economic crisis are the children.
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