WB grants US $ 10 mln for school development

Ariyapala Wansatillaka, Kurunegala central special corr.

The World Bank has agreed to provide Ten Million US dollars towards the development of schools in the cleared areas in the North and East, said Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.

The Government has given priority for the development of the free education system in the country by making a budget allocation of Rs. 86 billion this year. Provincial Councils have been given Rs. 80,700 million to uplift education in their areas, he said.

Minister Susil Premajayantha was addressing a meeting after an inspection tour of the special English unit of Katawala school in the company of Provincial Council Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Neranjan Wikramasinghe. He said: "we have seen a drastic drop in the number of student failures in comparison to previous year examination results.

Under the UNP regime 78 per cent of students failed at the A/L examination. But we have been able to decrease the percentage of 62 per cent"

He said: "we have given basic training to all new teacher recruits while sufficient funds have been allocated for the training".

"The opposition was trying to take teachers to the streets. But their efforts had failed. We have allocated funds to remove the salary anomalies of employees in the education sector," said Minister Susil Premajayantha.

He said the Ministry will recruit teachers and principals under the direction of the Public Service Commission. Interviews will be conducted very soon. Today no picketing can be seen in front of the Isurupaya.

He said the government has appointed 18,000 graduates as teachers and 300 students who have passed out from the College of Higher Education. He said the World Bank has agreed to provide 10 million US dollars to develop schools in the liberated areas. We have already provided 3,179 teacher appointments in the plantation sector, said the Minister.

Provincial Council Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Neranjan Wikramasinghe said when Grade Five Scholarship examination is considered, out of 21, eight best schools are in the Kurunegala district.

I have no doubt students in other districts could achieve good results. The education system would collapse if remedial measures are not taken properly. Students will start protests. But education cannot be blamed unless sufficient facilities are provided, he said.

Mawathagama PS Chairman said the education system should be amended to suit the international requirements.

Students should be provided with sufficient knowledge on various subjects. The teachers should also be properly qualified, he said.