Jaffna University to get Engineering Faculty:

‘Govt’s highest priority for education development’

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksasaid the government has accorded the highest priority to education. In fast tracking development activities in the North, the next highest priority will be accorded to education development in the North.

Minister Basil Rajapaksa said the government will transform Sri Lanka as a country which exports computer software and related equipment instead of housemaids and highly qualified professionals instead of unskilled labour.

Minister Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest at the distribution of 1,070 computers and pianos to secondary schools in Jaffna. The ceremony was held at Jaffna Vembaddy Girls High School on Saturday evening. Each secondary school in the Jaffna district received five computers and a piano.

“The World is changing fast. We cannot send housemaids or unskilled employees abroad. Instead of exporting garments, we should export IT products” the minister emphasized.

“The government has decided to set up an Engineering Faculty attached to the Jaffna University” he said. Elaborating the past glory of Jaffna, the minister said that Jaffna was at its zenith in the higher education field for many years and has produced a large number of engineers for the country as its contribution to education development. The people from far away places had come for studies in Jaffna as the schools in Jaffna had facilities to teach Advanced Level Science stream. The minister also said that the government will make Sri Lanka a hub of knowledge and Jaffna has already got its share in this endeavour. The Jaffna Technical College has been modernized with state-of-art modern facilities which are not available even at Katubedda.

Referring to human resources development, the minister said that schools are the places where we should lay the foundation for it. The government is prepared to provide all the facilities to schools. But the principals have to take the responsibility to transform schools as centres of excellence for learning. It is the principals who can make the schools centres of learning.

The minister said that this situation is common for all schools in the country. “Even in the Gampaha district which I represent, I have found that schools became popular only when the principals take tough decisions” the minister said drawing the attention of the principals and teachers of the Jaffna district schools who attended the ceremony.

Rajapaksa who is also Chairman of Presidential Task Force on Northern development said that the government made the initiatives to open an IT park in Jaffna with USAID assistance. But due to the jealousy of Northern politicians the people of Jaffna were deprived of this facility. Northern Province Governor G.A. Chandrasiri and the Northern Province Education Ministry Secretary also spoke.