Vakarai MV reconstructed at Rs. 300 million

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Vakarai Maha Vidyalaya in Batticaloa, ravaged by 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and the conflict, having been reconstructed at a cost of Rs. 300 million and developed into a fully facilitated school, will be opened to students of Vakarai within the next two weeks.

The school has been reconstructed under the Government's Eastern Awakening Program (Nagenahira Nawodaya) to develop the country's East.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will hand over the school to the students and the public in the Batticaloa district.

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha yesterday said Vakarai Maha Vidyalaya will be the only school in Vakarai area to offer education up to Advanced Level.

The school was destroyed by the massive sea surges that were triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean on Boxing Day 2004.

Minister Premajayantha said the students of Vakarai had to undergo severe hardships following the disaster.

"The students had to carry out their studies under temporary facilities with the terrorist conflict that existed then was adding up to their plight," he said.

"The school will stand as a model school for other schools that were demolished by tsunami and the conflict for it shows how a school could be developed even after being worst hit by disaster," he added.

Premajayantha thanked the International Organization for Migrations and the European Union for extending their assistance by way of funds to reconstruct the school.

Education Ministry Assistant Director Izad Thajudeen said the ministry has provided furniture and other equipment to the school.