President tells newly appointed graduate teachers:

Unemployment down

Rasika Somarathna

*Five harbours are coming up simultaneously while mega-electricity projects too have been initiated

*Sri Lankans must adopt positive approach to life, even in the face of adversity

*There is no time to relax. The words no and can’t should not exist in our vocabulary

The country’s unemployment ratio which stood at 8.3 percent in 2008 had come down to 5.2 percent today, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

“Today five harbours are coming up in the country simultaneously while mega-electricity projects too have been initiated. Infrastructure too is being developed fast with rural villages being given priority in achieving equity in development,” he said addressing 1,000 newly appointed graduate teachers at Temple Trees yesterday.

President Rajapaksa also underlined the need for all Sri Lankans to adopt a positive approach to life, even in the face of adversity. This, he said will help put the country on the path of progress.

President Rajapaksa said the positive approach adopted by the Government in the face of many an adversity had paid rich dividends in delivering the results which the masses aspired.

Urging the new appointees to adopt this positive image, the President said the country’s teaching fraternity should take the lead in creating a disciplined and educated society in rebuilding a new Sri Lanka, where all could enjoy equal rights and opportunities.

The President also noted that the teachers had to be innovative and think out of the box in meeting the present day demands in producing a productive citizen who loves his country.

“There is no time to relax. We should build on this victory in taking the country forward. The words no and can’t should not exist in our vocabulary. We as a nation have achieved feats which some had earlier tagged as impossible, like defeating the world’s foremost terrorist outfit. Thus if all of us get together and work as one, there is nothing we can’t achieve,” President Rajapaksa said.

The President also pointed out that the Government had given the public sector its due place. “When I assumed duties three years back, there was a move to curtail the number of state sector employees to 600,000 due to external pressure. But we never allowed this, and as a result the number today has gone beyond 1.2 million,” he said.

“We need money to develop this country. But we would never bow down to any conditions detrimental to the working masses, laid down by international organizations to obtain this money,” he added.

The President while observing that the Government was taking all decisions with the future good of the Nation in mind, said that as a result of proper planning, Sri Lanka was able to give new employment opportunities at a time western countries were cutting down millions of jobs due to the economic downturn.

Referring to the North and East, the President said the East was developing fast with an initial allocation of US $ one billion. North too would follow suit, he added.

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said there were no political affiliations behind the new appointments. He said the teachers would be further trained to equip them with new syllabuses and latest teaching methods. He also urged the new appointees to dedicate themselves to work hard and not to seek transfers within the first five years.

According to the Education Ministry, the last budgetary allocation for education is Rs. 21,000 million, which is only second to allocations on defence and health.

The teaching fraternity which stood at 187,000 three years back, has risen to 214,000 today, with 27,000 new appointees within the period.

The Ministry also plans to give 3,000 more new appointments within this month for diploma holders from educational colleges. In addition, around 350 graduate teachers too are expected to be appointed soon to cater to a student population exceeding 3.9 million.