History to be reintroduced from grade 6-11

R.S. KARUNARATNE

COLOMBO: "History will be re-introduced as a subject from Grade 6 to 11 from next year", said Education Minister Susil Premajayantha. The Minister was addressing the launching of Jackson Anthony's path-breaking work "Maha Sinhala Vansa Kathava - Vidyuth Teekava Tippani Kathava - 1" at the BMICH on Tuesday.

Paying a glowing tribute to the author, the Minister said he used to watch the popular programme 'Maha Sinhala Vansa Kathava' telecast on Swarnavahini whenever he found the time in his busy schedule.

"It is a programme you can watch even if you happen to miss one or two episodes, I have even asked schoolchildren to watch this programme as it is essential to know our history."

The book is produced in a novel format to attract modern-day students who are exposed to the visual medium," he said.

Minister Premjayantha said students in America had to learn their country's history as a compulsory subject. America has only a history less than 250 years but Sri Lanka has a history more than 2500 years old.

J.R.P. Suriyapperuma said he witnessed emergence of a new generation in Sri Lanka. He stressed that people who serve society should be recognised by the Government.

"There are only two pyramids higher than Ruwanweliseya. We have a 2500-year-old chequered history. However the subject of history was removed from the school curriculum in 1972 along with literature, civics and geography," Suriyapperuma said.

"Jackson was instrumental in producing the Maha Sinhala Vansa Kathava which had captured the audience turning to the history. He said Sri Lanka was the only country which had an unbroken chain of kings.

"From Vijaya to Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe we can boast of 187 kings who built 30,000 tanks to uplift irrigation and agriculture.

It was during King Devanampiyatissa's reign that the foundation was laid for the Great Wall in China, he said.

Jackson Anthony is an ambassador of civilization. We must be proud of him," he said.

Film and teledrama director Jayantha Chandrasiri spoke on the language of history which is often misunderstood.

He said Ven. Mahanama Thera who wrote Mahavansa knew the language of history well.

Jackson Anthony said the book was handed over to the Education Minister as a tribute to his services.

The removal of history from the school curriculum has created a generation of students who have become rootless. The National Institute of Education took measures to teach history in 2005 and now history has been made a compulsory subject from grades 6-11.

In another 20 years there will emerge a new generation who will be the real sons of the soil", he said.

Anthony made a plea to teach history in a novel way. He said globalisation should not mean banishing history. It is a communication concept popularised by America.