Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, stated that a main component of new educational reform process is to create a younger generation equiped with technology by empowering the school teaching and learning process with digital devices, and that a special program is being prepared to carry out this digitalization process based on student protection criteria and policies related to digitalization.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the national ceremony held at NW/Ibbagamuwa Kiribamuna Vidyalaya to hand over the smart boards given to secondary schools under the program to digitalize the education system, following an educational monitoring visit in the Kurunegala District on June 05.
This project was implemented to provide necessary smart board equipment to those schools identifying the secondary schools that do not possess smart boards across the island under the coordination of the Ministry of Education and the guidance of the Digital Task Force to the Prime Minister’s Office. Accordingly, 2890 smart boards have been provided to secondary schools across the country following the provisions of 1.6 billion rupees allocated by the Ministry of Digital Economy.
Further, under the project implemented by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, 1000 schools, and under the grants of the Republic of China, 500 schools, making a total of 4390 schools, have already been provided with smart boards.
On this occasion, the handing over of the Smart Board classroom received by Ibbagamuwa Kiribamuna Vidyalaya under the project to the students took place under the patronage of the Prime Minister. Following the distribution, the Prime Minister also observed the experience students gain when conducting educational activities using the smart boards.
The Prime Minister stated:
Today marks a special day. The provision of the smart boards is an ultimate moment where a certain victory has been achieved from a process that was carried out over a period of time. Our education reform agenda has been developed to encompass the border aspect of the education system. Our goal is to provide every student with equal access to quality education.
Accordingly, out of the 6215 schools with secondary grades existing in Sri Lanka today, 6084 schools have smart board facilities by now. Similarly, by the end of this year, we are also working to provide the necessary internet facilities for those schools and the digital equipment required for educational administrative work as well.
Likewise, we are taking steps to introduce a digital system to discharge educational administrative work efficiently, and it is expected to manage resources of the educational process through that process.
Education is not something decided only by textbooks and exam results. There are many criteria to measure the success of a school. The engagement of children, the respect between children and teachers, and that happiness that put on children’s faces are the best criteria. A school is a place that should be similar to a child’s family. Therefore, our attention should be focused on ensuring the safety of the children in schools.
Further, expressing views on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Prime Minister stated that bringing the country towards development through an eco-friendly path has become a main objective of the government, stating that the contribution made by the younger generation for that cause is immense.
The occasion was attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Lands Mr. Namal Karunaratne, Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs Mr. Namal Sudarshana, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewa, along with political and education authorities of the North Western Province and officials of the Ministry of Education.
Prime Minister’s Media Division