Sri Lanka Education Forum

The state run Daily News reported today quoting Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Wiswa Warnapala, the Ministry of Higher Education has taken steps to explore the possibilities of getting scholarships awarded by Commonwealth countries and other international bodies for post-graduate education.  Further arrangements, according to the Minister are under way to seek the co-operation of the Commonwealth and non Commonwealth countries to get the number of scholarships awarded to universities substantially increased.  The Minister has reportedly said that the final benefit of this exercise would reach the under-graduates of the 15 universities.  In addition, the Minister of Higher Education is of the view that ...

The Tamil United Liberation Front Leader V. Anandasangaree yesterday questioned whether the Tamil community has lost its dignity completely, in a statement expressing his shock on the murder of the Senior Maths Lecturer of the Jaffna University Mr. Mahinan. The veteran Tamil leader condemning the killing said that these types of barbaric acts are ruining the country’s culture and civilization. “The value of human life has become so cheap today that every Dick, Tom and Harry can do anything and go scot-free.” The statement further said: “Finding the mutilated body of Mr. Mahinan a Senior lecturer in Mathematics attached the University of ...

The private sector evaluates the applications made by job-seekers by checking whether they have the skills which will enable them to contribute to the organisations' growth, image and profitability. Two of the more desired accomplishments it looks for in candidates are a reasonably good knowledge of English and of IT. Those who are not proficient in these subjects are forced to find less congenial employment or even remain unemployed for long periods. Of course, if they are graduates, they usually know how to organise noisy demonstrations which embarrass the government into giving them jobs created for the purpose, with no resultant increase ...

The government has appointed a committee of scholars for providing a resolution for problems existing in the education system including the admission of children to schools from year 2009 onwards. Can this committee do what the National Education Commission could not do with its recommendations to the President early this year? The new committee is made up of the academics and the government officials that typically make up these committees. If you take out DP Sumanasekera and DS Mettananda (both now in the Board of Vidura College), and HLB Gomes (former principal, royal College), the new committee does not look ...

The Sir John Kotelawela Defence Academy (KDA) established in 1980, with the specific purpose of grooming academically and professionally qualified officers for the three Armed services would be renamed Sir John Kotelawela Defence University (KDU) today by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Academy elevated to University status in 1988, is the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka and has the reputation of being one of the best in South Asia, being a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.  The KDA which fulfils the education demands of Security Forces and related services, was originally established according to a proposal made by ...

A meeting was held between Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Education and the Country Director of the World Bank, Naoko Ishii, on October 02 at the Ministry of Education to negotiate for continuation of assistance to the Education Sector Development Framework and Programme (ESDFP). The Ministry of Education requested further assistance from the World Bank to scale up support for the activities that will promote multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society and for the rehabilitation and development of the education in conflict affected areas. Ariyaratne Hewage, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, and Dr. Harsha Aturupane, Senior Economist of the World Bank also took ...

Every secondary school in England is to be partnered with a university, John Denham is to announce.  The universities secretary will announce the scheme as part of a drive to get more pupils from low-income families into higher education. It aims to encourage more children from poor families to stay in education to get A-levels or their equivalent. He will warn institutions that their reputation will be damaged if they draw students from a narrow social base. Statistics suggest that young people whose families are in the poorest 20% are five times less likely to go to university than their peers in the richest ...

Almost half of all children have had property stolen from them at school, a survey by the charity the Howard League for Penal Reform suggests.    The survey of more than 3,000 children, questioned between 1997 and 2006, also found that 18% had been the victim of theft on their way home from school.  It also suggests that 57% of children have had property deliberately damaged.  The charity claims that almost all - 95% - of those surveyed have suffered some kind of victimisation.  It refers mainly to low-level offences which took place in schools and playgrounds - 70% said they had been hit or ...

Name - A.D. Susil Premjayanth   School - St. John's College, Nugegoda   Civil Status - Ex-Banker, Attorney-at-law, Master of Public Administration (MPA). At present reading for the PhD in Business Administration.   Political Office - Assistant Secretary/Vice Chairman SLFP and GeneralSecretaryUPFA   Public Office - Twice Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council.   Entered Parliament - October 2000.   Period in Opposition - 2001-2004.   Ministerial portfolios - Cabinet Minister of Education (2000-2001), Minister ofPower and Energy (2004 April-2005 November.)   Present Portfolio - Minister of Education from 2005 November   Today I've spoken to another gentle-man in the political scene who is most certainly eligible ...

We normally do not run editorials from local newspapers here, but perhaps today’s editorial from 'Daily News' raises some interesting points which we believe needs further discussion. This reproduction does not mean we agree or disagree with any of the points raised. (Question mark in the tile is added by us) – Ed ________________________________________________________________________ A THRIVING DEMOCRACY, Sri Lanka allows free expression of ideas. Protests and strikes have thus become part and parcel of our political landscape. Unfortunately, they have almost supplanted the other time-honoured way of resolving disputes - negotiations. The latest trend is to go directly for protest campaigns or strikes ...