Estate Tamil students excel at A-Ls

Joseph ANTHONY-Dehiowita special correspondent

Eighty seven percent students of Estate Tamil Schools in Sabaragamuwa passed the GCE A/L, Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath said.

Herath said that within the last five years he was able to provide 700 teachers to Tamil schools and build 102 new school buildings spending Rs 300 million.

He said he introduced Information Technology which was only a dream to Tamil estate children and opened several school libraries.

The Chief Minister said five years ago, when he took over the schools in the Sabaragamuwa Province they were in a deplorable condition.

"Not a single building was constructed in the past 60 to 70 years. Schools had a shortage of over 1,000 teachers. In many schools only principals were available. I was able to remedy such shortages within the last five years," Herath said.

Herath was speaking at a meeting held at St Mary's Tamil Vidyalaya, Yatiyantota, October 11.

The Chief Minister laid foundation stones for new buildings at Bulathkohupitiya, Lewella, Mipitikande, Lavent, Weweltalawa estate schools and St Mary's school.

The Chief Minister said that there are 196 Tamil schools in the Province attended by 44,254 children. There are 2,288 Tamil teachers.

The upward trend in the educational field was possible due to the Mahinda Chintana concept which stresses equal education for all, he said.

It is the President's vision to maintain social impartiality by giving equal education to all. The hill country Tamils had toiled hard for generations for the development of the country and justice should be meted out to them, the Chief Minister said.

Even though he had recruited 700 Tamil teachers in the last five years, yet, there is a shortage of about 562 teachers in Tamil schools. He promised to request the Government to fill vacancies.