Boost for plantation schools

The Government in keeping with its 'education for all' policy has taken steps to upgrade the standard of education in schools in the plantation sector to afford equal opportunities of education to children of plantation workers as given to children in other parts of the country.

Under this program, Rs. 322.5 million has been allocated for the improvement of physical resources in plantation sector schools.

An Information Department release quoting Education Ministry's Director (Estate schools) M. Sabharanjan said under this program preference would be given to activities such as building classrooms and library buildings in schools, provision of toilet facilities and computer rooms. Schools conducting classes upto G.C.E. Ordinary and Advanced Level classes would also be provided with laboratory facilities under this program.

The National Institute of Education has also launched a training program for teachers of schools conducting G.C.E. Ordinary and Advanced Level classes to improve the standard of education imparted to them.

Meanwhile, a new batch of 3,179 teachers have been recruited during the last few years to solve the shortage of English, Tamil, Mathematics and Science teachers in the primary classes of these schools.

There are 830 plantation sector schools in the Central, Uva, Western, Southern and Wayamba Provinces. Of them, 250 schools were provided with computer facilities last year.