President Rajapaksa tackles key education sector issues in Parliament address
In his inaugural address of the ninth Parliament, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said despite requesting students to follow science and technical subjects to successfully contribute to the economy, some schools do not even have basic facilities to teach those subjects.
“Parents request for suitable schools for their children’s education. The shortage of national schools was evident in many areas. Most schools have significantly inadequate facilities. The shortage of teachers, laboratories, libraries and sports facilities was frequently mentioned,” President Rajapaksa told the new Parliament.
He said funds expended by the Government for children to pursue their ambitions and to hone their skills were an investment for the future, and resolving these issues through the Ministries, which had been given new responsibilities, will be a priority.
“As human resource development has been identified as a priority, the subject of Education has been brought under one Ministry, and four State Ministers were appointed for different responsibilities. Separate state ministries for pre-school, education reforms, skills development as well as Dhamma school and Bhikku education have been set up due to their importance,” President Rajapaksa said.
The President also said special attention will be given to education reforms targeting Grade Six to Grade 13. He also said to achieve future objectives it is necessary to pay special attention to technical education.
“We will increase the capacity of universities, enabling all students who pass the Advanced Level Examinations to pursue university education. Further, we will take measures to improve the Open University network and distance learning methods. The curriculum will be revised to ensure that these degree subjects would directly contribute to the growth of the economy,” President Rajapaksa said.