The Prime Minister made these comments while attending the occasion of opening of the auditorium and indoor stadium of Kottawa North Dharmapala Vidyalaya, today (10.06.2024).
The Prime Minister addressing the event commented that –
The name Dharmapala is the life of a nation. Dharmapala Maha Vidyalaya has been established more than a hundred years ago and the great nationalist-thinking of Dharmapala is carried forward by the children who join the school. The children who leave of the school become citizens who can join the process of complete knowledge that can take ownership of the nation. I know very well the demands made by our parents for a long time to bring this institution to a success. I prefer the service rendered as the Maharagama MP than the titles of Prime Minister and Public Administration Minister. It was possible to serve all these schools as your MP.
Strengthening schools with not only buildings but also courses that can enter various fields is the foundation we have created for the future generation of children. Today, for the first time, three advanced level students from this school have qualified to be selected for university. It is a proud moment. Today’s children show the ability, talent, that can create simplicity in a person’s life, has been gifted by the school. The trust that parents have placed in this school has been a continuous gift to strengthen the school.
During the time of Dharmapala, there were schools with coconut leaf-thatched sheds in this area. Parents came as teachers and taught and added knowledge that our children can move forward. After that era, such schools were transformed into thousands of government schools in Sri Lanka. The people who learned from it were able to serve the country in various fields of our country and through universities.
We are going into a challenging future. That is the future that children face. We need to create an environment where children can learn confidently and happily in the school classroom so that they can move towards that future. Children grow further on the basis of that belief, happiness and full endowment. Not all children who study in schools in Sri Lanka go to tuition classes. Therefore, we cannot accept the story that teaching is only done through tuition classes.
When we think about how many of the 4 million children sitting for the exam have gone to tuition classes, it is possible conclude the importance of schools education.
In a developing world, our country should also develop. We need to create a generation that faces development. These schools build one by one are to make that generation a winning generation. We are committed to the desire to produce new things and create a new generation in school life. The President has announced that the government has decided to launch a program for imparting additional new technical knowledge to all other children throughout the country after school life. In order to give that future confidence to every child leaving school, the government has created provisions and policy institutions.
Mr. Roshan Gunathilaka, Governor of Western Province, speaking at the event said that,
“It is very important to help schools like this that are situated outside the city. The selection of students from this school to university is a good example of that. I am happy that the funds of the Provincial Council are being used properly for such tasks. It is our duty to support the children of a school with One Thousand Seven Hundred children to enter the university. It is our responsibility to find out the deficiencies in schools and complete them. We are taking steps to air-condition this stadium. The Prime Minister regularly informs us about the schools as well as other problems in this school."
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Pradeep Yasaratne, Secretary to the Western Provincial Ministry of Education A. D. S. Sadika, teachers, parents, children and residents participated in this event.
Prime Minister’s Media