ICT at AL exams from 2009 - Secy

Information Communication Technology ICT will be included as a subject in the Advanced Level examination curriculum from 2009, said Secretary to the Ministry of Education Ariyarathne Hewage.

He said approval for the ICT policy for education will be obtained soon and it will help develop capacity, train teachers, set up ICT centres and build private public partnerships.

Ariyarathne was addressing the academia career guidance pre meet organised by the Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) which will host the National ICT Capacity Summit and National ICT Career Fair (NICS 2007) from September 1-2 in Colombo.

Ariyarathne said information technology and computer science has grown at a phenomenal rate to a US$ 1 trillion industry but the country has not been able to keep pace with developments due to the lack of skilled IT personnel. The challenge today is to get IT professionals for the market. The IT workforce grew by 10,000 during 2004-2006.

Over 14,000 IT workers are required to meet the industry needs in the next two years. This year 5,755 graduates are needed for the industry, he said.

The attrition rate for the IT workforce in the country has doubled from 6.6 percent in 2004 to 13 percent in 2006. Fixation is an obstacle to the growth of the IT industry.

Parents and teachers want their students to become doctors and engineers and not IT professionals. Students are directed to sit for examinations to enter universities without providing them career guidance.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has volunteered to support Sri Lanka to develop capacity building in Information Communication Technology (ICT) by setting up a microsoft centre for excellence in the country.

The Ministry of Education has introduced several programs to develop IT in the country and the e-village concept is one such program to bridge the digital divide.

The village program was launched in Mahawilachchiya, Nihiluwa, Mahalakotuwa, Pitakumbura, Nikawewa and Dhamana.

General Manager Virtusa, Madu Ratnayake said with the shift from an industry based economy to a knowledge based economy world dependence on IT has grown tremendously.

The BPO industry in Asia is growing at a rapid pace. According to a survey by AT Kearney Global Service Ltd. Sri Lanka is ranked 29 among the top 50 countries in outsourcing. India which is ranked first has a vibrant IT industry which contributes 5-6 percent of the GDP.

ICT will be the next growth wave for jobs and wealth creation in the country, he said.