Batticaloa schools function without course books

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 12:45 GMT]
Government schools in Batticaloa district are functioning without the necessary school books and students are being severely impacted by this shortage, education officials in Batticaloa said.

Teachers inform that the syllabus for the first term which began in 2 January is unlikely to be completed before the end of the first term session because of lack of books.

In addition to shortage of Tamil, Arithmetic, Social studies and science books for Grade-1 to Grade-11, school authorities say that no English books for Grade-3 to Grade-6 have been sent to Batticaloa schools.

Since new educational curriculum is being implemented by the Government of Sri Lanka, teachers and students say that older books cannot be used to cover the required syllabus.

Prinicipals of Batticaloa Government Schools have sent an urgent request to Education Ministry to attend to this matter promptly and to arrange at least the books for key subjects to be sent to the district schools without delay.