IT training for 100,000 Govt teachers

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha assured that over 100,000 Government teachers will be trained in the field of Information Technology next year to fulfil the needs of schoolchildren, especially in the remote and rural areas in the country.

Referring to the recently opened Information Technology Educational Faculty at Welladura in the Sabaragamuwa Province, Minister Premajayantha told the Sunday Observer that unlike in the past, schoolchildren in rural and remote areas now show an interest in Information Technology (IT).

"They are aware that only children who have better knowledge of IT and English would easily secure employment in the future," he said.

While emphasising the Government's plan of introducing a new subject on IT for the GCE (AL) examination from 2011, Minister Premajayantha said nearly 50,000 Government teachers have already been given training in IT and they will be deployed at various schools in the coming months.He said students will also be trained in the design of software, so they will be able to secure employment even in foreign countries in future.The Minister also highlighted the vast development in the field of IT, achieved by Royal College, Colombo, and said the Education Department has planned to provide computers to over 5000 schools islandwide during the next year.