First batch of trauma counselling trainers to North

Lakshmi de Silva

The Education Ministry had sent the first batch of trauma counselling trainers to the North to train teachers in the region in counselling children who had suffered the effects of the war, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

A census of school going children among the displaced people will also be conducted so that the authorities could provide facilities to admit them to temporary schools to revert such children to education at the appropriate school grade level, he said.

As there were teachers among the IDPs their services will be utilized for conducting classes with the assistance of local officials in areas where temporary villages and shelters were provided to them, he said.

Prior to the influx of the large number of civilians from the LTTE controlled areas there were 65,000 children among the displaced people at different times earlier and special schools were set up for those children as well, he noted.