President calls for job-oriented education system

Suraj A Bandara

President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the education authorities to take prompt action to structure a job-oriented education system to comply with the present day job requirement.

The President made this observation when he had a meeting with ministers and officials of Education, Higher Education, Youth Affairs and Skills Development, Science and Technology and Sports Ministries at Temple Trees yesterday.

He further explained that certain sectors, in respect of which there is less knowledge and education, should be opened to school leavers and university students.

The education system in the country should be changed to fill the vacancies in these fields, he pointed out.

Some entrepreneurs said that they have to hire skilled labour and technicians from foreign countries for certain jobs in the market.

An attitudinal change is needed among the student population in technical and vocational education, the President noted.

In a bid to prepare an education system through which modern day requirements would be met, schools, universities and vocational and technical experts should get together to form a suitable system for the country, he added.

Senior Ministers Tissa Vitharana, DEW Gunasekara, Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Dullas Alahapperuma, Bandula Gunawardena, S B Dissanayake, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Pavithra Wanniarchchi, Deputy Ministers Nandimithra Ekanayake, Gamini Wijith Wijayamuni Soyza and Duminda Disananyake were also present.