Five national level primary schools to be set up
 

by L. B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

Education Minister Susil Premajayanth revealed that 5 national level primary schools would be established in 5 districts before January 15, 2006, with the view to avoid problems created in making admissions to Year One in schools for the year 2006.

Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Matara and Kurunegala districts have been selected to locate these national level primary schools.

Minister Premajayanth made this revelation at the opening of the project office of the Central Province under the 2nd Phase of the Secondary Education Reorganising Project. The event took place at the Central Provincial Education Department, Kandy.

The Minister added that every child would be provided with a school under the 'Mahinda Chinthana' and the new primary schools were to be established as a step under that project.

A long-term and short-term programmes for the improvement of education in the country would be implemented. January 19 would be the date for admissions to Year One of Government Schools and it was the responsibility of the Government to provide schools to those children on that day.

He explained that once those children who admit to Year One of those new primary schools reach the year 6, facilities would be made available to admit them to National Schools in those respective areas.

Minister Premajayanth said that Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank (WB) and CIDA aided education projects now being carried out separately at provincial levels would be combined and placed under one Project Management Office to be set up at provincial levels. Under that system those projects would be implemented under correct and efficient management and all those offices would be affiliated to one Operational Head Office.

A separate office for the administration of National Schools would be set up at each Provincial Education Department and problems arising from teacher transfers, admissions of children, teachers' salary anomalies would be handled by those offices and find solutions at provincial levels.

Central Provincial Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake also spoke.