Children should improve their general knowledge - Education Minister

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane valued the expansion of children's knowledge on various fields in addition to their normal school education.

He said today's children are busy right from grade one and urged school teachers and parents to encourage them to be involved in extra- curricular activities at least during school vacations.

The Minister said children could make productive use of the current school vacation by visiting historic places, tourist destinations and the development programs being carried out in various parts of the country.

Some of the key places he recommended children visit are electricity projects such as Norochcholai, Sampur in Trincomalee, Upper Kotmale, Laxapana hydro power project and Kerawalapityiya power station, the Southern Expressway, the new port at Hambantota and the Sinharaja forest.

He said children could broaden their knowledge of the country's economic and social background by visiting such places.

The Minister also made special reference to the commissioning of Sri Lanka's first solar power electricity generating project at Hambantota last week.

It was constructed at a cost of Rs. 410 million with assistance from South Korea.

He said children for the first time could see this solar power village and study the new method of generating environmental friendly electricity.

The Minister also highlighted the development activities being carried out in the Northern Province and urged schoolchildren to visit the North and see the historic places that they had missed for several decades.

He said "Children are the backbone of society.

They are the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, as elders, it is our duty to give them the school and social education that will help them to be productive citizens in future".