NECORD funds new school buildings for Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 2004, 17:13 GMT]
Asian Development Bank funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project has selected 15 schools from the most backward areas in Batticaloa district for further development, sources said. New buildings to house several additional class rooms are to be built and the required class room equipment and supplies are to be provided under NECORD funding.

Five schools from each of Pattiruppu, Kalkuda and Batticaloa areas have been identified for the NECORD project.

Under the same project, Teachers Hostels for Pattiruppu and Batticaloa areas will also be built.

Resident of Kalkuda say that education in Kalkuda has suffered immensely during the last few years. Teacher shortage in Kalkuda schools is acute, they say.

Education officials, who did not want to reveal their identity, said that in Batticaloa and Pattiruppu number of teachers exceed the requirement. Directives to transfer some of the excess teachers from Batticaloa and Pattiruppu areas to Kalkuda were allegedly suspended by unilateral action taken by the Zonal Director of Education in Batticaloa, education officials told TamilNet.

These officials also said that the autocratic behavior of the said Zonal director is poisoning the atmosphere among the teacher community.

Residents of Kalkuda and education officials say that efforts to improve educational standards in the Batticaloa area will be impacted if high level officials fail to execute their responsibilites effectively.