A President’s Media communiqué quoted President Rajapaksa as saying that there is a need to move fast towards an education system capable of providing the necessary skills to the younger generation in a technology-driven global economy. The President stressed the need to break away from the exam-oriented educational system and create an environment to relieve the unbearable burden placed on children.
President emphasized the necessity of focusing on the need of the country in line with international curricula and how the syllabuses have been formulated.The President highlighted the importance of enabling educationists to take decisions on education matters instead of politicians.President also said that immediate steps should be taken to train unemployed graduates to fill existing vacancies.Students who have passed A/L examination in 2018 and are eligible to enter universities should be enrolled as soon as possible. President said that from 2019 onwards students should be admitted to universities within a short duration after releasing results.
Every student who had passed the GCE A/L examination should be given the opportunity to gain university admission. Also, attention was focused on introducing diploma courses at universities in order to create a workforce required by the country in the short run.President also said that actions should be taken to establish teacher training institutes and hotel schools targeting the job market.
President also highlighted the importance of developing and absorbing the Batticaloa Campus to the university network of the country.The time has come to grant the opportunity to universities to prepare courses after looking into the country’s uirements.It was discussed to establish universities covering Galle, Matara and Hambantota as well as every district.
President also pointed out that the possibilities should be explored to reconstruct and utilize unused buildings located in large lands for this purpose.The country should have more students qualified in science and mathematics streams.President said that it is vital to absorb the students who study arts subjects in to the economic process by giving them the opportunity to pursue information and communication technology.
Steps must be taken to address the issue of shortage of teachers and to ensure that there are no unfilled vacancies at schools. It was also discussed that a national policy should be formulated within a year for the education sector.The special discussion held today marks a “turning point in education”, Minister of Education Dullas Alahapperuma said. Minister Bandula Gunawardene, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Ministry Secretaries and several officials were also present.
