Giving Polonnaruwa a timely educational boost

(Excerpts from a discussion with Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Mahaweli and River Basin Development and Rajarata Development on the exhibition "Pulathisi Daruwo - 2005 to be held in Polonnaruwa)

Question: Can you please give a brief introduction to the program "Pulathisi Daruwo?"

Answer: This program was initiated about ten years back. The name "Pulathisi Daruwo" explains the objectives of the program.

The name Pulathisi is derived from the historical term used to denote Polonnaruwa. Pulathisi Daruwo therefore stands for a program that has been designed to work for the well-being of the children of Polonnaruwa.

We cannot be happy about the facilities available for education in Polonnaruwa. The facilities available for children and the privileges they enjoy are very limited. In the developed regions of Sri Lanka, specially the children in schools that are very popular, enjoy facilities denied to the children of Polonnaruwa.

The children of our farmers in villages like Medirigiriya, Welikanda, Aralaganvila and Dimbulagala, are subjected to tremendous hardships. They pursue their education despite all these difficulties.

The Government provides for only a part of the privileges enjoyed by the children in popular schools in areas generally considered to be developed; the balance is provided by other means.

The Government is not in a position to provide all the privileges they enjoy. In such a context, as to how the children in less developed areas could face the challenges of a competitive society is a dilemma.

Take Royal College for example. Apart from the education imparted in the classroom for five hours, there are more than 100 organizations in the school directing the students to acquire new knowledge in a multiplicity of fields like photography, nature, sports, library services etc.. The skills and knowledge they acquire from these activities help them in finding their way forward in future.

Schools in our villages do not have organizations of this nature. We have no resources to support such activities. The poverty of the parents and the lack of sponsors prevent any progress in this field. Children in these schools are therefore starved of new knowledge and experience provided by opportunities available outside the classroom.

It is this background that prompted us to build an organization to provide at least partly the privileges enjoyed by the children in affluent urban schools to the children in village schools at Polonnaruwa. This organisation does not have any political leanings.

The Ministry of Education, the Provincial Council, government officials and donors without political affiliations joined hands to launch "Pulathisi Daruwo". We were therefore able to work for the benefit of the children of Polonnaruwa in the most effective manner.

Our organization "Pulathisi Daruwo" was able to launch for the first time in 1999 an educational exhibition to be launched by them titled "Pulathisi Daruwo - 1999". This exhibition presented to the entire country a magnificent view of the capabilities of Pulathisi Daruwo. We hold the present exhibition after six years.

I call to mind the commendations received from many parts of our country including educationists., public officials and the private sector, when the first exhibition was held.

We created 'Pulathisi Daruwo' to identify and promote the creative capabilities of the children of Polonnaruwa to enable them to face the demands of a competitive society in future.

Question: Can you briefly describe the services rendered by Pulathisi Daruwo since its inception?

Answer: This organization is not more than ten years old.

During this brief period we have been able to formulate a program of scholarships to children in primary grades. We have also organized many workshops for the benefit of the children and the teachers. Many educational tours were organised for the benefit of children in the poorest segments of Polonnaruwa district.

The educational exhibition we organize to bring out the capabilities of the children of Polonnaruwa is one of the most important contributions.

Question: You have mentioned that the exhibition by 'Pulathisi Daruwo' is distinctively different when compared to other exhibitions. Can you explain?

Answer: The exhibition will be held on 27, 28 and 29th of May at Rajakeeya Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Polonnaruwa. There are 233 schools in Polonnaruwa District with a total student population of about 98,000. All these schools will participate in the exhibition.

The schools are organizing stalls where the skills and the knowledge of students have been harnessed to the maximum.

The school presenting the best exhibition stall will receive an award of Rs. 500,000.00. The schools winning the second and third position will received Rs. 300,000.00 and Rs. 200,000.00 respectively. All schools in the 4th to 10th positions will receive Rs. 100,000.00 each.

In my view, this is the first time such high awards have been presented in connection with an educational exhibition. This exhibition is therefore a historic occasion. The award winning schools will use the money they receive to meet, at least partly, some of their pressing needs.

I should categorically state that funds used for the awards have not been obtained from government sources. These funds were received as voluntary contributions from different institutions.

The exhibition will comprise not only the stalls presented by students where their skills and capabilities are on display, it will also have special stalls with educational exhibits designed to broaden the knowledge of students on different subjects taught in schools.

The exhibition will also have special programs conducted by educationists specializing in different fields, eminent musicians and experts drawn from the National Institute of Education who will delve on subjects outside the immediate purview of classroom teaching.

We invited a few schools from outside Polonnaruwa District, specially Colombo and Kandy, to participate in the exhibition. By this move we wanted to provide an opportunity to our students to mix with students from schools that are conventionally considered more advanced. Accordingly, many schools from other districts have agreed to participate.

Our students will therefore have an opportunity to exchange ideas and share creative skills with students from other parts of the country. We believe that this will be the beginning of a new program by which students from less privileged areas will be given an opportunity to mix with students from schools that considered to be in privileged positions.

Students from all ethnic groups, Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim, will be participating in the exhibition. There are 233 schools in Polonnaruwa District with a tutorial staff of about 4,900 and a student population of about 98,000.

Her Excellency the President, as Honourable Minister of Education has extended unstinted cooperation to this exhibition. She will be the chief guest on the last day of the exhibition. Award winning schools will receive their awards and certificates from her.

The people of Polonnaruwa and the student population of the district thank her for her cooperation and invaluable support.