Bandula highlights education as corner stone of development

Wednesday, 13 October 2010 00:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Minister of Education and newly appointed Representative of Sri Lanka on the Executive Board of UNESCO, Bandula Gunawardana met the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Madam Irina Bokova at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Monday.

The Minister of Education highlighted the pivotal role that the sphere of education was Playing in the development process and the steady progress being made in this area with emphasis placed on ensuring the provision of adequate facilities in order to support the current system.

He also noted the improvements being made in the enhancement of teacher training in Sri Lanka and articulated the steps in place for programmes of peace and sustainable Development with focus on the five areas of peace, environment, health, economy and society.

The Education Minister explained the significant progress made in the area of rehabilitation of child soldiers in the North and East of the country and noted the measures in place to ensure their return to society through enhanced programmes of education and awareness.

The Director-General commended the extremely high rate of literacy in Sri Lanka and said the country was placing importance on the critical issues, in ensuring the provision of education at all levels.

She also focused on the initiative of enhancing teacher training in Sri Lanka in association with UNESCO and its affiliated bodies in a bid to ensure that the requirements of primary level teachers in a global context are addressed in keeping with the Oslo Declaration of 2008.

The new Representative on the Executive Board met the Director General on the occasion of the 185th session of the Board which has opened in Paris. The Minister of Education was joined at the discussions by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to France and Permanent Delegate of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, Ambassador Lionel Fernando and the Secretary-General of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO, Prithi Perera.