Commercial Bank, Mother Sri Lanka to promote IT education for rural children

Completes first project at Kosgolla Maha Vidyalaya in Badulla

Children at the Kosgolla Maha Vidyalaya in Badulla District were the first beneficiaries of an IT skills development project launched by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon in partnership with the Mother Sri Lanka programme of the Presidential Secretariat.

The CSR Trust of the bank donated computers and related equipment to establish an IT lab at this school. Maintenance support for the lab will be provided by the bank’s IT team.

“The enthusiastic response we received from the Kosgolla Maha Vidyalaya was extremely encouraging and augurs well for this initiative,” said Priyanthi Perera, Coordinator of the Commercial Bank’s CSR Trust, disclosing that 11 more underprivileged schools have been identified for support under the Commercial Bank-Mother Sri Lanka programme partnership.

In a letter of appreciation sent to the Commercial Bank, the Principal of Kosgolla Maha Vidyalaya noted that receiving a computer lab was a dream come true for the students as the school did not have even a typewriter till era of using typewriters was over.

“Our students are learning computer science with a lot of interest and we are happy to inform you that this letter is being sent to you by using a computer you have donated,” the letter said.

Two schools in the Anuradhapura District, a school each in the Puttalam and Kurunegala Districts, two schools in the Jaffna peninsula, two schools in the Vavuniya District and three schools in the Central Province have been selected for this project.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon will fund the project while the selection of schools and coordination will be the responsibility of the Mother Sri Lanka programme.

When selecting beneficiary schools under this scheme, consideration is given mainly to rural schools based on up to which grade they conduct classes, the number of students and the availability of teachers to handle the subject of IT, Perera said.

The Commercial Bank contributes up to one per cent of its post tax profits every year towards its CSR Trust. The bank has planned many projects for 2011 to enhance the IT skills of school children in rural areas to help them in everything they do in the future, from higher education to employment.

Among the other principal initiatives of the Commercial Bank’s CSR Trust are the grant of annual scholarships to undergraduates, conducting of programmes to upgrade English education, assisting children’s homes and internally displaced people as well as people living in flood affected areas.