Govt to recruit 1,000 youths who passed Dharmacharya examination:

Qualified youths as Dhamma teachers

S M Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Daily News corr

The government will recruit 1,000 youths who have passed the Dharmacharya examination as teacher assistants to teach Buddhism at government schools islandwide, Kurunegala District Dhamma Schools Chief Advisor Ven Kadigamuwe Dhammadassi Nayaka Thera said.

"The Buddhist clergy, including chief prelates of all Chapters requested the government to recruit qualified and dedicated teachers to teach Buddhism at schools. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is performing a remarkable service to promote moral values among the student population. The President is assisting all faiths in the country," he said.

Ven Kadigamuwe Dhammadassi Nayaka Thera was speaking at a meeting of Dhamma school teachers and parents in Bingiriya, Kurunegala recently.

The prelate said it is the sole duty of parents to reap benefits from the teachings of the Buddha for the betterment of their children.

"The Buddha's teachings always pave the way for the mankind to prosper in every field without any bias," Ven Kadigamuwe Dhammadassi Nayaka Thera said.

The thera said the newly recruited teachers of Buddhism would be given an extensive teacher training on the practical aspects of teaching a religion before they are appointed to schools.