Education Ministry initiates key programs

The Ministry of Education is taking steps to initiate key programs of the Ministry for 2006 starting now. Work involved in connection to producing school uniform material for 2006 has already begun with Cabinet approval, the Education Ministry said.

Arrangements have also been made to locally purchase or process all school uniform material needed for 2006 with Cabinet approval.

Similarly, action is being taken with the Government Printer and the State Printing Corporation to place orders for all textbooks for 2006.

Since the relevant process for both these activities commenced only after April 2004 last year, there were certain delays in the distribution of certain books. Initiating action will now enable the Ministry to complete the entire distribution before the December vacation in 2005.

A new program has been initiated to commence the Grade I school admission process for 2006 in March-April this year.

The entire process will be managed by the Ministry of Education and will be announced in detail over the weekend.

This is primarily to ensure that the admission process for the National and Provincial Schools will be completed well ahead of time so that students will not be inconvenienced.

National School Principals have been informed of this initiative by the President and a Special Unit functioning under the supervision of the Secretary to the Ministry has been empowered to implement this policy.