President at opening of Mahinda Rajapaksa College :

Equality in access to education paying dividends

Rasika Somarathna and Thihagoda group in Matara

All have to ensure that petty rivalries which occur due to ethnic, religious and cultural issues are a burden that future generation should never have to bear, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. He said children should be taught to look beyond such petty differences and live in harmonious co-existence while respecting ethnic, religious and cultural plurality.

"Above all, they should be taught the value of humanity," he said. The President was speaking after opening the newly built Mahinda Rajapaksa College in Matara.

The college was built under the 1,000 secondary schools initiative.

He said Sri Lanka was a united country today and petty differences which created divisions in the past should not exist any longer.

Speaking about the government's efforts to develop education, President Rajapaksa said its emphasis on ensuring equity in access to quality education for all, irrespective of where they live were paying rich dividends.

He said in recent examinations, most top rankings had been grabbed by children from rural schools.

President Rajapaksa said he had travelled to the North, East, Central, Southern and other parts of the country and had seen a major change in the school going children's attitude.

"They exude more confidence now. We too are confident that children would make optimum use of the facilities they are given," he said. While pointing out to students that they were hailing from an area which over the years had produced a large number of intellectuals who served the country with distinction, the President urged the children to follow their path. Mentioning about the progress as a whole in the area, President Rajapaksa said the government's efforts have brought unprecedented development to the south.

After opening the school, the first student of the college was admitted in the presence of the President and later he made the first entry in the school log.

The induction of the school's inaugural prefects council was carried out and the President also launched the new school's website.

Education Minister Bandula Gunewardene, Principal L Rideegama and student Uthpala Sewwandi also spoke.

Ministers Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene and Dullas Alahapperuma, Chief Minister Shan Wijeyalal de Silva and MPs Sanath Jayasuriya, Wijeya Dahanayake and Hemalal Gunesekara also participated.