The sudden withdrawal of the 50% course fee concession for children of military personnel at the Kotelawala Defence Academy has triggered a wave of controversy, sources report.
The concession, introduced in 2020 under the directive of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, recognized the contribution of the Sri Lankan armed forces in defeating terrorism in 2009.
It applied to children of personnel who had completed 20 years of service for males and 15 years for females, and was not curtailed even during the country’s worst economic crisis.
According to sources, the decision affected day scholars from intake 43 (2025), who were unexpectedly denied the special concession.
Many had expected that retired armed forces groups, which supported the National People’s Power (NPP) in last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, would prioritize addressing this issue.
The move has raised questions about the treatment of families of service personnel and the continuity of benefits created in recognition of their contributions to national security.
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