Promoting national peace, national integration and equity:

Trilingual proficiency program gets off the ground

by Naalir Jamaldeen

The University Grants Commission and the Presidential Task Force for Trilingual Sri Lanka (PTFTSL) has taken steps to start a Second National Proficiency program for Tamil and Sinhala speaking employees employed in Government, private and semi government organisations, UGC Chairperson Professor Kshanika Hirumburegama said.

She said that these courses will be conducted in the Universities to achieve President Mahinda Rajapaksa's goal of a trilingual Sri Lanka.

"Chairman of PTFTSL Sunimal Fernando brought this idea to the UGC and we are ready to extend our fullest cooperation", she said. While addressing the media at the UGC, Prof. Hirumburegama said that four certificate level National Language Proficiency courses will be conducted with examinations by the State Universities to provide four levels of competence in the second national language (Sinhala and Tamil).

The syllabus will be identical with that provided to the four levels of public Official's Committee appointed by the Cabinet.

"We held a round of discussions under the patronage of Prof. Sunil Shantha Coordinator, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Science, Sabaragamuwa University, Prof. S.J. Yogarajah, University of Kelaniya, Two Committees have also been appointed. PTFTSL Chairman Sunimal Fernando proposed this program to UGC to create inter-harmony between Sinhala and Tamil speaking people.

This is a national obligation. Our University grid is ready to provide the fullest cooperation to make this attempt a success.

The Standing Committee on Social Science, Humanities and Education of University Grants Commission (UGC) has proposed the University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, University of Ruhunu, University of Jaffna, Open University, South Eastern University and the Eastern University to conduct the Second Language Proficiency courses.

The courses will be conducted in four stages such as Certificate Course in Second National Language Proficiency in Sinhala/Tamil, Intermediate Certificate Course in Second National Language Proficiency in Sinhala/Tamil, Advanced Certificate Course in Second National Language Proficiency in Tamil/Sinhala and Diploma in Second National Language Proficiency in Sinhala/Tamil, Prof. Hirumburegama said. While addressing the media PTFTSL Chairman Sunimal Fernando said such courses are the means to get the people close speak Sinhala or Tamil, it is a social responsibility of Universities towards the society.

"Through the Trilingual proficiency program we hope to create a society with mutual understanding. This national obligation should be done by our national Universities", he said.

Earlier days the job of Universities were done by Pirivenas.

There were Pirivenas in all villages, he said. Fernando said that Tamil and Sinhala were the most ancient languages in the world.

The Sinhala Tamil employees who are serving in junior, Senior and executive levels in Public, Private and semi Government sectors are essentially required to use the Tamil or Sinhala languages as second language as per recommendations made by the Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and trilingual policy of Sri Lanka, he said.

Sri Lanka has momentum in the international arena as an emerging nation in Asia for mutual peace and coexistence among ethnicities. In order to improve the efficiency of the aforementioned sectors,using a second language is mandatory for the development of economy, society and culture.

These courses have been designed with the objectives of effectively implementation of the trilingual policy thereby building national peace, national integration and equity, he said.