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A giant step for ethnic harmony

The Cabinet yesterday endorsed a proposal by Education and Higher Education Minister Richard Pathirana on the advice of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to teach Tamil to Sinhala students and Sinhala to Tamil students from January 1, 2000.

This proposal is part of the Government's Education Reforms which have been launched with the aim of equipping students to face the challenges of the new millennium.

President Kumaratunga requested Minister Pathirana to forward a report on the number of teachers and other facilities needed for this langauge teaching exercise, within two weeks so that the logistics could be planned in advance.

The Ministers praised this proposal, pointing out that it would go a long way towards achieving amity among all communities.

Meanwhile, the Education Reforms are proceeding smoothly, a spokesman for the Education Ministry said. The Government has allocated Rs.800 million for the year 1999 to implement education reforms. Of the total allocations Rs.500 million will be utilised to restructure grade one class rooms while the other Rs.300 million will be used to refurbish schools and set up activity rooms.

Educational Reforms proposed by the Presidential Task Force to grade six and nine have already been launched at the beginning of the new term and reforms in the Grade one will come into effect from January 8. The World Bank has provided Rs.6 million for the new text books for these classes.

The Grade one reforms pilot project in the Gampaha district has particularly demonstrated improved attendance of students and teachers output and high community participation in school activities. These have been attributed to the new syllabus where teachers have to fulfil a target within a certain period and the student-oriented teaching mode where children learn through activities with less desk work.

The funds allocated for the implementation of Education Reforms this year will be distributed among Provinces in the following manner: Western Province Rs.155 million, Central Rs.100 million, Southern Rs.100 million, North Eastern Rs.110 million, North Western Rs.90 million, North Central Rs.80 million, Uva Rs.80 million and Sabaragamuwa Rs.85 million.

Source: Daily News http://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/1999/09/16/pol01.html