<b>Students Teach, Teachers a Lesson on punctuality - A true life story</b>

Our Correspondent

On last Friday, Students of Bibile Central College, taught their teachers bitter a lesson, on the importance of coming to school on time.

Most of their teachers were habitual late comers; some use to come only after the first period.

Senior students, on last Friday, locked the school gates, immediately after the morning prayers and twelve of the 34 teachers were caught outside.

They sent messages to the school principal, who fearing student revolt, declined to open the gates.

“Talk to the students”, read a note he sent to the stranded teachers through the office assistant.

Negotiations went on for nearly two hours and students agreed to open the gates after the truant teachers undertook to attend the school on time in the future.

Late attendance is a common malady among teachers in rural schools. A recent survey conducted in Badulla district revealed that except in a handful of 193 Tamil schools late attendance and absenteeism are chronic.