Finearts teachers to be recruited

*Subject selection needs adjustment

*Facilitated schools in each DS division

Asela KURULUWANSA and Indika POLKOTUWA

A batch of 3,174 fine arts teachers will be appointed to schools this year, said Education Minister Bandula Gunawardene.

The minister was addressing the annual prize day meeting of the Kandy Dharmaraja College held at the school under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday.

The minister said out of the 334 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the country, 172 did not have schools teaching Science and Commerce subjects for G.C.E. Advanced Level.

The 1,000 secondary schools project was launched to find a solution to this problem.

Minister Gunawardana said when 53 percent of the student sitting the GCE Advanced Level examination follow Arts subjects, only 22 percent follow Mathematics and 25 percent follow Commerce subjects. Children needed by society were not churned out due to this discrepancy. Therefore steps would be taken to increase the number following Science and Mathematics to 40 percent and reduce the number offering Arts subjects for 25 percent.

Every Divisional Secretariat division will get schools with computer units, Science and language laboratories and all other facilities. He said the government's aim is to produce a child who will be a blessing to the country through the school system.