NECORD helps build war destroyed school buildings

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 June 2003, 14:28 GMT]
Two new school buildings constructed at a cost of about three million rupees by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) programme in the resettled Tamil villages Kumburupiddy and Kuchchaveli in the north of Trincomalee district were declared open Saturday, education officials in Trincomalee said.

Kumburupiddy school new building.

NECORD Project Director Mr.T.Lankaneson and Northeast Provincial Education Ministry Secretary Mr.R.Thiagalingam declared open the buildings at Kumburupiddy Methodist Mission Tamil Mixed School and Kuchchaveli Vivekananda Maha Vidiyalayam respectively.

Kumburupiddy and Kuchchaveli are among several Tamil villages in the north of Trincomalee district destroyed due to Sri Lanka Army's (SLA's) military operations during the period between 1985 and 1990. Residents of these villages were displaced and sought refuge outside Trincomalee district. Most of the school buildings were destroyed.

Kuchchaveli school new building.

Kumburupiddy Methodist Mission Tamil Mixed School located 22 km off Trincomalee town, was closed from 1985 till 1996 due to the displacement of villagers following violence. The school was reopened in 1996 and classes were conducted in an old building in six rooms.

The number of students now studying in the school has risen to 183. Classes were conducted under shades of trees due to the non-availability of classrooms. Now the NECORD has constructed a building with six classrooms at a cost of about 1.5 million rupees. NECORD Project Director Mr.Lankaneson opened this building Saturday.

Kuchchaveli Vivekananda Maha Vidiyalayam which is located 34 km north of Trincomalee town was destroyed in 1990 violence and Tamil families in the village were displaced to other districts and sought refuge in welfare and refugee camps.

Kuchchaveli Vivekananda Maha Vidyalayam Principal Ms T.Sivapunniyam lighting the traditional oil lamp.

In 1980s Kuchchaveli Vivekananda Maha Vidiyalayam was a leading school in the Kuchchaveli division with more than eight hundred students attending and producing good results in island wide competitive examinations on par with urban schools, sources said.

Only about 155 students attend this school, which till Saturday functioned in one building.

The new building constructed at a cost of 1.2 million rupees was declared open Saturday by the NE Provincial Education Ministry Mr.R.Thiagalingam.

Students waiting out side the new building of Kumburupiddy Tamil school.

The new buildings were constructed under the supervision of NECORD Trincomalee district Deputy Director Mr.R. Umakanthan.

At the opening functions LTTE Kuchchaveli area political head Mr.Sivakumar, GTZ team leader who is associated with NECORD education projects Mr. Ingo Gur, Kuchchaveli Divisional Secretary Mr.K.S.Jayachandra and several officials participated, sources said.

Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College junior band music group was in attendance when new school buildings were opened Saturday.