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Massive funding for WPC schools

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Government has spent Rs. 44.25 million to improve the quality of education of 1,366 schools under the purview of the Western Provincial Council (WPC) for the year 2001. Rs. 75.5 million has been allocated for the quality improvement of these schools for 2002.

Of the total of Rs. 4,625,126,000 recurrent expenditure allocated to the WPC for 2001, 44 percent was reserved for the Provincial Education Department's program of improving education standards in WPC schools, a spokesman for the Western Province Chief Minister's office told the 'Daily News'.

At present 731,263 students study in the 1366 WPC schools with 30,675 teachers. Emphasis is on reducing the shortage of teachers in the three districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara while priority was on solving a huge shortage of teachers in Colombo, Mathugama and Negombo Education Zones, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile a sum of Rs. 38,625,658 was spent by the Government on school furniture and equipment last year. Five hundred and four buildings were constructed this year by utilising the funds granted.

Under the Inter Province Teacher's Exchange Scheme, 610 teachers were recruited with effect from March this year. This has enabled the WPC to reduce teacher shortages to a large extent. In addition 197 Teacher Assistants were appointed to teach arts, science and commerce subjects, he said.

He said a systematic program has also been implemented by the WPC to provide IT technology to the students. This program has already set up 22 computer centres in the Western Province schools. Another 10 computer centres are under construction at 10 selected schools in three provinces. Rs. 5.7 million has been allocated for this purpose.

Initiatives have been taken to establish Resources Centres at district level. Two centres have already been constructed at Meegoda and Nittambuwa.

A program to develop one school in each Divisional Secretariat Division has also been implemented by the WPC. According to this program 13 schools have been developed for the year 2001. Annually the WPC allocates Rs.16.5 million for teacher training programs, he added. 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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