President kicks off satellite-based distance learning network for schools
Thursday, 7 November 2013 00:47
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Nenasa TV took a bold new leap yesterday with the launch of two channels covering the national curricula of Grade 10 and Grade 11.
The channels were launched in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Tangalle Ruhunu Wijayaba National School.
Nenasa TV is the digital satellite television-based Distance Learning Network architected by the Ministry of Education, National Institute of Education and Dialog Axiata to bridge education enablement gaps between urban and rural Sri Lanka.
The state-of-the-art education program was developed under the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ education plan to address the disparity of access to knowledge between urban and rural Sri Lanka through information communication technology.
The Ranjan Wijerathne Maha Vidyalaya in Pelwatta, Moneragala District was the first school in Sri Lanka to receive Nenasa TV, which was launched in 2009 by the President.
Under this new phase, Nenasa TV will broadcast a high quality edition of the national education curriculum for Ordinary Level (Grades 10 and 11) developed by Dharmavahini along with content produced and approved by the National Institute of Education under the direction of the Ministry of Education.
Nenasa TV is currently beamed to 2,000 schools across the country, consisting of underprivileged schools in rural Sri Lanka and 1,000 ‘Mahindodaya’ schools.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena said: “The true inheritors of the massive development drive that is currently underway in the country are the children of Sri Lanka. It is the vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to build a knowledge-centric education system. I believe that this second Nenasa channel launched this day at the Ruhunu Wijayaba National School will aid us in realising that vision. As the Minister of Education, I would like to thank Dialog for coming forward to provide their unstinting support to this endeavour.”
The developed curriculum is transmitted to the rural school network via Dialog Television. Nenasa is a gift from Dialog to the Ministry of Education and aims to uplift the quality of educational content and access to knowledge in Sri Lanka.
