More opposition MPs to join Govt.

by L.S.A. Wedaarachchi

A group of Opposition members are due to join the government. They will act at the correct time - Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, Piyasena Gamage said. The development programs of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government will continue. The next budget reading would be passed with a larger majority.

The Minister told the Sunday Observer that a systematic vocational and technical training scheme has been implemented successfully which has won international recognition. A university for vocational and skilled workers to obtain degrees in technical and vocational education and training will be set up in the near future.

A Bill to set up the university was presented to Parliament last week, he said. "The aim of vocational and technical training program is to identify guide and train school-leavers who miss higher education facilities.

Two-hundred-and-thirty-eight vocational training centres have been set up for the purpose. There are thirty-eight technical colleges in the island for advanced technical studies. Under the "Mahinda Chintana' five technical colleges were proposed for 2006 and 2007. Of the five, two new technical colleges were set up in Anamaduwa and Akkaraipattu.

Technical colleges will be set up in Puttalam, Horana and Pitebaddera in the near future, he said.

"The technical and vocational education system could absorb 300,000 school-leavers who do not get an opportunity to pursue higher education. These youngsters will have a prosperous future in Sri Lanka or abroad.