President at Palatuwa:

Schools source of child’s future

Jayasiri MUNASINGHE, Bandula GUNASEKARA, Justin KODIKARA and Deiyandara Group Corr

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who emphasized the need to build an intelligent and disciplined child generation in the country’s march to become a wonder in Asia, said the program to build a child generation which could win the country and the world should be initiated from the school. The President made this observation when he opened the Dandina Samarasinghe Memorial Shilpa Medura at the Gunaratana Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Palatuwa, Matara to commemorate his late mother yesterday morning. The three storeyed building which cost Rs 3 million is complete with a meeting hall and six classrooms.

The President said that by taking steps to provide competent teachers to schools and unlimited subject knowledge to students we could easily put a stop to the tuition era.

The secret behind the success of any school depended on the availability of a competent and dedicated teaching staff. The President believed that the success gained by the Gunaratana MMV was largely due to the competent staff led by the Principal who worked tirelessly day and night to cater to the welfare of the student.

The dedicated efforts of the teaching staff, past pupils and students themselves would undoubtedly lead to the success of any education institution, President Rajapaksa said.

He said we should not blame students for attending tuition classes. If competent teachers are provided and subjects like mathematics, science and English were properly taught in schools there won’t be a need for students to attend tuition classes.

The President said, “I personally believe that material resources alone would not bring about proper development of a country unless the people especially the child generation were rich in moral and spiritual values. A disciplined human resource is the secret behind the development and success of any country. The President said, “We have brought the resources, hitherto restricted to Colombo and the Western Province, into the village now. Today schools and infrastructure in the villages are well developed and it is upto all of you to make maximum use of them for your progress and welfare.”

The President who said that only about five percent of students sitting the GCE Advanced Level examination qualified for university entrance, requested Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to ensure that proper vocational education facilities are provided to the balance students to enable them gain employment with higher salaries. The President also called for the urgent implementation of plans formulated to solve the shortage of teachers in the schools sector.

The President also distributed a stock of kitchen utensils among a group of 36 homeless families for whom 36 new houses have been built in the Palatuwa area.

Ven Attudawe Sri Rahula Mahanayake Thera, Ven Getamanne Gunananda Thera, Ven Medagoda Abhayatissa Nayaka Thera, Ministers Dullas Alahapperuma, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene and Chandrasiri Gajadheera, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Presidential Chief of Staff Gamini Senerath, Southern Province Governor Kumari Balasuriya, Chief Minister Shan Wijayalal de Silva and Principal S Edirisinghe were also present.