The Government is also focusing on ensuring uninterrupted 13-year education for plantation sector schoolchildren and expanding Tamil-language vocational education.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has instructed officials to submit, within one week, a report on the condition of every school affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
The Prime Minister made these remarks at a special discussion held in Parliament today (09) regarding plantation sector schools.
During this meeting, special attention was given to the damage caused to plantation sector schools by Cyclone Ditwah and the measures taken in response, as well as issues relating to land ownership, teacher vacancies, school development, and reconstruction. The discussion also focused on schools in the Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Central Provinces that had suffered complete or partial damage or needed to be relocated.
Minister Samantha Vidyarathna stated that the Government is taking necessary measures to restore the affected schools and that actions are already underway. However, it was revealed that there has been inadequate coordination between the line ministry and the Provincial Councils in obtaining accurate data on the situation.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
Following Cyclone Ditwah, officials have had to provide various reports through the Provincial Councils. Therefore, the Ministry must pay close attention to this matter and take steps to collect accurate data. Merely assigning children from affected schools to other schools does not resolve the issue. We need to conduct proper follow-up to determine whether those children are actually attending school, whether they are receiving an education, and what difficulties they are experiencing.
Although some children have been assigned to other schools, some have not attended. We must urgently find out what has happened to those children. Immediate attention should also be given to the establishment of temporary schools. As a Government, we are committed to intervening on behalf of all children, but accurate data is essential for that purpose. There is a responsible officer for the plantation sector schools, and the Ministry should coordinate with that officer to obtain reliable information. Provincial Directors of Education, as well as Provincial Council officials, must also be properly coordinated. Members of Parliament should also play an active role in this effort.
We are taking steps to train Tamil-speaking teachers separately to address the teacher shortages in Tamil-medium schools. Further, during this round of teacher recruitment, we will fill fifty percent of the existing teacher vacancies in provincial schools. Once appointments are made, teachers will be required to serve at their assigned schools for a period of five years.
The Prime Minister further stated that the Government is focusing not only on ensuring uninterrupted 13-year education for children in estate sector schools but also on promoting Tamil-language vocational education.
The event was attended by Minister Samantha Vidyarathna, Deputy Ministers Madhura Seneviratne and Sundaralingam Pradeep, Members of Parliament, education officials, and several other participants.
Prime Minister’s Media Division