Australian High Commissioner meets students to mark International Literacy Day

Australian High Commissioner Bryce Hutchesson meets World Bank Country Director Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, Provincial Assistant Director – Education Muditha Gamage, Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya Principal Priyangika Wijesinghe, teachers and students

Australian High Commissioner Bryce Hutchesson and World Bank Country Director Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough met the principal, teachers and students of the Colombo girls’ school in Narahenpita, Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya, to celebrate International Literacy Day on 8 September. The day is an opportunity to promote and celebrate literacy as a tool of empowerment for boys and girls, communities and societies.

“On the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day, I am impressed that Sri Lanka continues to strive for excellence in education for all Sri Lankans,” said Hutchesson.

Australia and the World Bank are supporting Sri Lanka’s primary and secondary education system through the Transforming Schools Education Program (TSEP). Since 2010, Australia has provided more than Rs. 5.3 billion to TSEP. The program is helping the Government of Sri Lanka to build better infrastructure and provide education materials for 4 million school children. TSEP is also providing training for 215,000 school teachers, 15,000 principals and 3,500 education managers and administrators. 

Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya is one such school that has directly benefitted from TSEP. In 2009, the school was largely empty with only 10 students. Under the leadership of the principal Mrs Priyangika Wijesinghe and with the support of TSEP, the school now has more than 1,000 students. The school has benefited from TSEP’s Program for School Improvement, which aims to give schools more managerial independence to help improve performance and student learning.

“Australians take great pride in being part of the kind of development changes that have taken place at the Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya School with support from TSEP and the Ministry of Education, and of course driven by excellent leadership and committed teachers and students,” said Hutchesson.

Australia is also supporting Sri Lanka’s education sector in other ways. In response to the floods and landslides earlier this year, Australia provided Rs. 54 million to enable affected children to return to school as quickly as possible. And for school leavers, Australia is continuing to provide full scholarships for tertiary studies in Australia through its long-standing and prestigious Australia Awards program. Since the 1970s, over 1000 Sri Lankan students have benefited from scholarships under this program.