Free English medium education for Matugama students

MATUGAMA: President Mahinda Rajapakse's intention is to provide privileges enjoyed by the urban people to the rural people as well, Industrial Development Minister Kumar Welgama said.

"English education provided by schools in insufficient to speak and write English accurately," he said after laying the foundation stone to construct a school at Puhabugoda, Matugama to provide free English medium education to low-income rural children from preschool to advanced level.

"Therefore, we can consider the students who get the opportunity to study from this school, for which we laid the foundation stone are lucky," the minister said.

Welgama said the hopes instilled by the Mahinda Chinthana in the minds of the people regarding the providing of benefits enjoyed by the urban people related to education, health, housing, transport, electricity and road facilities to the rural people as well are being realised one by one.

This school is constructed with donations provided by German philanthropist Peter Flewen Feld on Welgama's request. This school will hold classes from 7.30 a.m. 6.00 p.m. for 600 students.

The school administration will provide hostel facilities to 100 students and annually send 11 students to Germany for further education. The amount spent for this project is one million Euros. The school will be built in a 21 acre land in Puhabugoda.

A knowledge of the English langauge not even received by urban students will be gained by students in this school. The students will also be taught German, Welgama said. The Minister and the guests examined the proposed land area prior to the laying of the foundation stone for the school.

German Ambassador in Sri Lanka Forgen Weyers also spoke.