Undergrads to get laptops

Islandwide tele-workshops on e-media:

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The Higher Education Ministry has planned to offer laptops to all university students and students in Higher Education Institutes, Higher Education Minster S B Dissanayake said yesterday.

Minister S B Dissanayake was addressing the Islandwide tele-workshop on e-media for Provincial journalists organized by the Mass Media and Information Ministry in collaboration with the Government Information Department at the National On-line Distance Education Service (NODES) Centre.

Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella and S B Dissanayake at the inauguration. Picture by Sudath Nishantha

The Minister said the US Government has agreed to teach English to around 10,000 students in Sri Lanka through computer technology. It will help Lankan children enter the global arena, he added.

He noted that the Higher Education Ministry hopes to conduct a series of lectures for O-L and A-L students in the near future with the assistance of qualified lecturers using this method.

New technological methods are very important for journalists to gather correct information because they play a major role in society, the Minister said.

NODES TV web channel was also launched by the Higher Education Minister.

The Tele-workshops were held in 20 centres throughout the country. These centres are in Kandy, Anuradhapura, Peradeniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Gampaha, Moneragala, Rathnapura, Matara, and Katunayake. The inauguration ceremony was held at NODES centre in Colombo. They were attended by a large number of provincial journalists.

Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said, Sri Lanka occupies a high position in terms of literacy. The literacy rate in Sri Lanka is 92 percent. However due to poor knowledge in mathematics and computer literacy this status has somewhat diminished.

”We have enough physical resources and human resources. But we lack leadership for guidance. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed the proper persons to the right place. Because of that we can go ahead with our development, the Minister added.

He further said that communication is an essential requirement of society. In the journey of development, reducing the distance between urban and rural areas is a necessity.

“We had no place in the Global village 3, 4 years ago. Now with the development of technology we have achieved many goals,” Minister said.

The NODES Centre will hold a second workshop on February 22 for 500 students in school media centers, NODES Director S T Nandasara said.

Mass Media and Information Ministry’s Secretary W B Ganegala said they will provide all assistance to continue these programs.

Government Information Director General Ariyaratne Athugala,Higher Education Ministry’s secretary Dr Sunil Jayantha Navaratne were also present.