Complement education with extra-curricular activities - Minister Jayasuriya

Mahaweli Systems corr.

The students population of the country needs education that helps them to face various challenges in this era, said Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs Karu Jayasuriya at the Sri Lanka Cadet Corps camp at Rantambe.

Minister Jayasuriya said that the President and the Government have understood this necessity and the Ministry of Education is doing accordingly. Jayasuriya was the chief guest at the prize-giving that marked the end of the training camp attended by cadet corps bands from schools around the country.

He said that classroom education has to be completed with extra- curricular activities. This will contribute in building a perfect personality in children so that they will grow into citizens whose lives are successful and as a result the country will be a better human habitat.

Jayasuriya said there has to be opportunity for every pupil to follow cadet corps training because that type of training helps the pupils to broaden their horizons and gain skills to live in society as a good member.

He said he was a cadet attached to the platoon of Ananda College, Colombo, adding that the experience he had as a cadet has been of use in his life and careers. The Sri Lankan Cadet Corps is not an organisation giving military training to pupils. Instead, it is an organisation training them in various aspects to help build a balanced life.

The Minister said that literature, music, drama, other art forms and such other subjects cause personality development in pupils and teaching any subject should be part of cultivating good human qualities in pupils.

Passing on to the conflict situation in the island, the Minister said that the Government is defeating 'terrorism' and the current operations are not part of a war against any community.

He said with the release of the Eastern province from the clutches of the terrorists, the Government has prioritised development activities in that province, contributing to uplift living conditions of the people. Muslims, Tamils and Sinhalese in the Eastern Province are happy about the Government's action.

The Minister said under the Government programme aimed at the Eastern province development, it will become a development model very soon and people there will become healthy, wealthy and happy.

Major General Gamini Jayasundara, Director, Sri Lanka Cadet Corps also spoke.