NE education development action plan underway

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 January 2003, 00:16 GMT]
Three-day workshop to finalize an action plan to implement several educational development projects in the war torn northeast province commenced Monday at Trincomalee. The head of the Educational Development Unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.V.Ilankumaran made the keynote address at the first workshop held in Trincomalee Monday for twelve zonal directors, their deputies and In-Service Advisors in the eastern province.

Mr.Ilankumaran, head of the Education Division of the Liberation Tigers, speaking at the education workshop.

"We face an uphill task to take forward the educational development of the war-torn northeast province severely affected in past by deliberate discrimination in allocating funds and due to the acute shortage of teachers and other academic staff," said Mr.Ilankumaran in his speech.

Mr.Ilankumaran added even though teacher shortage problem is fulfilled we have to continue our educational development activities with the existing teacher cadre for another two years until the new appointees are trained. " Until such time we request teachers and academic staff in educational institutions to work more hours with service mind," said Mr.Ilankumaran.

"We will work for the development of education in the northeast province irrespective of race, religion and caste. The rights and welfare of the minority community in the northeast will be safeguarded. Then only we will be in a strong position to demand the rights of Tamils living in other provinces excluding northeast should be ensured," said Mr.Ilankumaran. He stressed," we are used to overcome obstacles. We take obstacles as step stones to move forward in our journey to achieve education development of our children."

(L-R ) NE Provincial Directorof education Mr.S.Mahalingam, Provincial Education Ministry Secretary Mr.R.Thiagalingam and Mr V.Ilankumaran, head of the Education Division of the Liberation Tigers.

Of the twelve zones in the eastern province eight are Tamil medium and the rest Sinhala medium. The second three-day workshop for the twelve education zones of the northern province will commence on January 11 at Killinochchi. All twelve zones in the northern province are Tamil medium, provincial education sources said.

Provincial Director of Education Mt.S.Mahalingam presided at the workshop held at the management Centre of the Provincial Ministry of Education at Thulasipuram in Trincomalee.

Mr. Mahalingam said in his welcome address appealed that teachers and other academic staff working in educational institutions should work at least twelve hours a day to uplift the standard of education in the northeast province.

Mr.R.Thiagalingam, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs and explained in detail the aim of the workshop. This was the third and final workshop to work out an action to launch several educational development projects in the northeast. "We have already agreed on conceptual issues regarding our educational development programme. This workshop would specifically decide on development projects that could be implemented in the next few years. Five inputs such as the capacity of learning, curriculum development, knowledgable subject, in-service training, amount of time devoted for teaching and instruction materials should be taken into consideration when preparing action plan for the development of education in the province," said Mr.Thiagalaingam.

Section of the participants at the Education Workshop.