Schools island wide to have technology streams

The Government is in the process of addressing the mismatch between the education system and the national and international job market by starting technology streams in 300 schools islandwide, State Minister of Higher Education Mohal Lal Grero said. The Minister was speaking at the workshop on collaboration, innovation and success in technology education organized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), University of Kelaniya and Sheffield Hallam University, UK last week at the UGC auditorium.

"I am the happiest person to see these changes since I was the person to initiate this scheme in schools when I was the deputy minister for education. I was the person who suggested the names engineering technology, bio systems technology and science for technology as subjects to be taught," he said.

"Now it has started and students are to be admitted to the technology stream at several universities this year. But this must just be started to enrol students to technology stream in universities since it needs to be expanded until the last university in this country is included. This is the most meaningful step to stop the job begging graduates who display the placards on the street and demand government jobs only to sign

"I am the happiest person to see these changes since I was the person to initiate this scheme in schools when I was the deputy minister for education.

documents in air conditioned rooms,” he said.

'All the children are born with 10 intelligences as scientist have proved, such as logical and mathematics intelligence, linguistic, kinesthetic, visual, inter personal, intra personal, natural, emotional etc. But the education system has not improved enough to develop these intelligences in students minds through schooling,' he added.

As we all know more than 500,000 students are sitting for the O Level examination and only 300,000 students will be selected for the A Levels annually. Around 200,0000 drop out after their O Levels. Many countries have developed systems for these dropouts from respective exams transforming them in to productive students catering to them with many fields. For example Japan has planned their education system to prepare productive students from primary education with hands on skills, he said.