PRIYANTHA AND OTHERS

Vs.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND OTHERS

COURT OF APPEAL
SAMAYAWARDHENA, J.
CA/WRIT/157/2016

Writ of certiorari-Assisted Schools and Training Colleges (Special Provisions) Act, No. 5 of 1960, sections 5, 6-Assisted schools- Unaided Schools-Education Ordinance, No. 31 of 1939-Education Regulations 1951-National Education Commission Act, No. 19 of 1991, section 2-National Education Policy-Circulars of the Ministry of Education-International schools-Importance of English medium education

The petitioners who are parents of several students of Ashoka College of Horana (a government approved private unaided school) filed this application seeking to quash by way of a writ of certiorari the decision of the secretary to the Ministry of Education that the medium of education of the school should be either the mother tongue (Sinhala/Tamil) or bilingual in terms of the education policy of the government.

This decision was based on section 6 of the Assisted Schools and Training Colleges (Special Provisions) Act, No. 5 of 1960.

It is the position of the petitioners that the government policy in respect of the medium of instruction is c