Developing schools in cleared areas

There are many schools in the cleared areas of the North and East. However, education and schools in these areas had been largely neglected over the years due to the war. Now, the government is focused on the development of schools in these areas and will receive the assistance of the World Bank to the tune of ten million US dollars, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

The importance the government has placed on the free education system in the country is amply demonstrated by the fact that it has made a budget allocation of Rs. 86 billion this year for education.

Provincial Councils have been given Rs. 80,700 million to uplift education in their areas, he said at a recent school function. Basic training has been provided to all new teacher recruits with sufficient funds been allocated for this training. Salary anomalies(irregularities) existed for employees in the education sector and the government has allocated funds to rectify(correct)this matter too.

Appointments have already been given for 3,179 teachers in the plantation sector, Minister Premajayantha said.

These developments have resulted in a drastic drop in the number of student failures at national examinations compared to previous years.