Under a three year reform plan :

NCP schools to be increased

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group corr

The number of schools in the North Central Province will be increased from 777 to 785 under the three year provincial education promotion plan effected recently.

Referring to the new provincial educational reforms North Central Provincial Education Minister Peshala Jayaratne told the Daily News that it was pity that during the past 10 years the NCP educational level has been remaining at the eighth place among other provinces and 20th place at district level.

“The three years’ provincial education development plan is in progress to remedy this situation under the theme, “Priority of Studying.” Our aim is to establish student-centred educational system sans physical resources, centred or officers centred educational system,” the Provincial Minister emphasized.

Jayaratne said there were around 3,500 teacher vacancies to be filled. Due to the wrong handling of teacher transfers by the zonal directors some urban schools got 20 to 30 super numerary teachers. Some rural schools had never an English teacher appointed, he pointed out.

The Provincial Education Minister said a methodology to appoint teachers to schools having judged the student community in a school and the number of classes under the ongoing three year plan. Some of the priorities were providing residential facilities to teachers being appointed to difficult areas especially war battered divisions such as Padaviya, Kebithigollewa, Mahawilachchiya, Dimbulagala, Welikanda etc, according to him.

“I never allow the provincial education to go astray. A special investigation bureau has been established to carry out investigations, supervision and scrutiny over various aspects and components concerning the school education and to propose solutions. Every school will be treated alike without any discrimination to develop the educational mentality of the students community”, Jayaratne emphasized.