Addressing a ceremony yesterday (12) at ‘Ape Gama’ in Battaramulla to mark the presentation of appointment letters to Regional Forest Officers and Productivity Awards of the Mahaweli Development and Environment Department, President Sirisena recalled a disappointing experience he had endured when he participated in the finale of the National Schools Games at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo recently.

“There was the march-past by the participating schools and in my mind the performance of the public schools on show was not satisfactory. The lack of training and discipline were visible among the public schools. But there was a band and troupe of 'school girls' that stood tall among all the bands. They marched like a military platoon and seemed well trained,

I asked Education Minister Akila which school that band represented and he replied that it was from Musaeus College, Colombo. Then right after Musaeus there was another band from a public school that went by whose performance was hopeless. I again asked Akila the name of the school the band was representing and he named the school and looked up dejectedly. I requested Akila to call the Principal of that school and ask him why he brought a band that performed badly at this function attended by the President,” Sirisena said.