Lanka seeks Arabic teachers from Iraq

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

Sri Lanka and Iraq are exploring ways of obtaining assistance of volunteer teachers from Iraq to teach Arabic in Sri Lankan schools, getting Iraqi assistance for curricular amendment and obtaining co-operation for the country's examination procedure.

This was discussed during a meeting between Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Iraqi ambassador to Sri Lanka Kahtan Taha Khalaf at the Education Ministry on Wednesday.

The discussion also focused on carrying out bilateral agreements at the Seventh Session of the Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Co-operation signed between Sri Lanka and Iraq.

The two parties also drew special attention on the proposals at the seventh session related to education.

The two sides also agreed to carry out exchanging knowledge in teacher training methods, sports and aesthetic subjects.

Education tours between the two countries will also be organised to obtain first hand experience in addressing and mitigate education related issues. The 1975 Trade Agreement between Sri Lanka and Iraq provides for a Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Co-operation and its first session was held in Colombo in March 1979.

The seventh session of the Sri Lanka - Iraq Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation held in Colombo from October 21 to 22, 2010, concluded successfully with the establishment of Committees to study various areas of cooperation.

At the seventh session, three Committees were set up to study three separate fields as trade and financial cooperation, economic cooperation and scientific, cultural and technical cooperation.