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| Monday, 20 September 2004 |
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Mihintale group correspondent Arrangements have been finalised to recruit 9,000 graduates as teachers so that the current shortage could be minimised, said Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse who was the chief guest at the annual prize-giving of Swarnapalee Balika Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura recently. He said, at this global age we should make, information technology, television etc. vital components of our education. Our computer literacy is yet to be considerably improved to meet the future challenges. Whilst we are interested in taking the information technology to the village, the education ministry has made arrangements to introduce it to the GCE (OL) and (AL) examinations as a separate subject. We could also be proud of the achievements of the Swarnapali Balika Vidyalaya during its life of 128 years. It is significant that it was started as a Catholic College at the beginning, he said. The acute shortage of teachers has posed a big problem to village schools. Most of the teachers who have been transferred to uncongenial stations later work out their transfers according to their preferences, even without the knowledge of the ministry officials. Most of the teachers in city schools are reluctant to work at schools in the periphery. The President who is aware of this problem has planned out a scheme to ease the situation. The Prime Minister reiterated the responsibilities on the part of the parents towards their children, in directing them to such extra curricular activities as music, sports etc. Many parents have been constrained to engage their children full-time on education or tuition, which tend to make them book-worms. Sports teach children to treat triumph or defeat equally. Today only 1.8 per cent receive higher education in the country, whilst the rest have to be catered to in providing suitable opportunities, he concluded. The NCP Chief Minister, Berty Premalal Dissanayake said that the provision of resources alone is not adequate, but the children or their parents themselves should take an interest in education. Already we have provided computers to 110 schools and it has been decided to extend this programme to other schools too. 'Raja Rata' known as the granary of the country has failed to produce the quantity of rice it needs to feed the population in the NCP. As a result wheat flour costing about Rs. 500 million are consumed annually by its people, he pointed out. Anuradhapura district MP, Ranaweera Pathiraja and NCP, Provincial Council Minister, H. B. Semasinghe also spoke. |
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