Government development drive:

Students to be drawn in

Chaminda PERERA in Matugama

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday stressed the importance of integrating the student community who fail to enter State Universities into the country’s development drive.

The President was speaking at the inauguration of the Diri Uda program at Kalutara yesterday.

He said only one-fifth of the students who sit for the Advanced Level Examination qualify for university entrance and emphasized the need for an effective mechanism to integrate the failures as well as the successes into the country’s development drive.

President Rajapaksa added that the schoolchildren are facing unnecessary competition from the time they enter school.

“The parents are in the habit of preparing them for the Year Five Scholarship Examination since they enter schools and this has placed additional burdens on them”.

He said children are under stress as they are always influenced by their parents to focus more attention on studies for the sake of acquiring higher marks at the Grade Five Scholarship Examination.

This stiff competition has deprived the freedom of children for extra curricular activities including sports. He was of the opinion that parents should get rid of this mind set and pay equal attention on the children’s mental and physical wellbeing. Parents should also admire the talents and achievements of their children and this type of admiration will help develop their personality, he added.

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena, Transport Minister Kumara Welgama, Ports and Aviation Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Western Provincial Minister Jagath Angage were also present.