Around Rs 11 billion will be allocated next year under the 2018 Budget for the 13- Year Compulsory Education programme which commenced last week, covering 4,875 students in 42 selected National Schools islandwide. Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the Sunday Times that Rs 2 billion has already been spent this year for the development of necessary infrastructure facilities and for teachers for the programme. He said all the infrastructure facilities and teachers have already been provided to the students who currently follow the programme. (Full list at end of story) The Minister noted that the programme will be extended to another 125 schools islandwide in 2018 and the allocated Rs 11 billion utilised to provide infrastructure facilities, teacher training programmes and other facilities for the students. In addition, all students who enter the programme will be given a special Identity card, while the Ministry of Education (MoE) will bear the cost for the students to follow the NVQ courses.

He said that, by 2019, the 13- Year Compulsory Education will be available for all the students in the entire Education system. Mean while, MoE Planing & Performance Review Additional Secretary S. U. Wijerathne stated that around 50,000 students drop out of school between Grades 1 to 11 classes, annually, while a large amount leave school after GCE O/L. He said, around 96,000 students in 2015, and another 86,000 students in 2016, failed to qualify for the Advanced Level.

Mr. Wijerathne said that various reasons including economic and social issues, the burdensome school syllabus, shortage of teachers, unprofessional teachers, teaching methods that do not comply with the needs and skills of the students and competitiveness at exams, result in mass school dropouts.

Lumbini Vidyalaya, Kotahena MMV, Bomiriya MMV Gampaha District- Senarath Paranavithana MMV, Sri Dharmaloka MV Kalutara District- Thissa MMV North Western Province Kurunegala District- Sri Sumangala MMV, Nakkawaththa MMV Puttalam District- Ananda National School, Zahira National School Uva Province Badulla District- Hali Ela MMV, Saraswathi MMV, Kahagolla MMV Moneragala District- Mahanama MMV, Malwaththawala MMV Southern Province Galle District- Amarasuriya MV Matara District- Vijitha MMV Hambantota District- Rajapaksa MMV North Central Province Anuradhapura Anuradhapura MMV Polonnaruwa District- Royal College Sabaragamuwa Province Ratnapura District- Seevali MMV Meepawala DistrictDudley Senanayake Kegalle District- MMV Central Province Kandy District- Marassana National School, Hewaheta MMV, Rajawella Hindu National School Matale District- Dambulla MMV Nuwara Eliya District- Gamini MMV, Norwood Tamil MV Northern Province Jaffna District- Chavakachcheri Mullaitivu District- College Vavuniya District- School Mannar District- Hindu College Kilinochchi District- MMV Eastern Province Trincomalee District- Sinhala MMV, Sri Koneshwaran MMV, Kinniya MMV Ampara District- Dehiattakandiya MMV, DS Senanayake Vidyalaya, AL Ashraf MMV, Thambiluvil MMV Batticaloa District - Paddirippu MMV, Kattankudi MMV Hindu College, Vidyananda Gamini National Siththivinayagar Kilinochchi St Sylvester’s College Kandy, founded in 1940, will hold its annual Media Day tomorrow at the College auditorium, with Hiru News Deputy News Director Upendra Herath, an Old Boy of the School as Chief Guest (CG).

The College Media Circle has organized a series of events to mark the day, and held several Inter- School competitions for which the awards will be presented at the event. The Media Day has been held since 2014, with the 1st CG being for mer Photo Journalist, the late Srilal Gomes, followed by Media expert and TV personality Dr Punchnilame Meegaswatte ( 2015) and Senior Lecturer Journalism Dept, University of Sri Jayawardenapura and f o r mer BBC Pro d u c e r M.J.R.David (2016). The College has produced a number of Media persons, Authors, Musicians, Actors and Radio personalities among who are the late Madwala S. Ratnayake, Dr Leel Gunasekara, Tilaka Abeysinghe, Errol Kelly, Erick Fernando and Derrick Fernando. The Media Day is being held under the directions of the Principal Ranil S. Meetiyagoda, who is also an Old Boy of the College.