Cabinet approves relief for schoolchildren and for re-building of damaged schools

Aseries of Cabinet approvals of proposals including relief for schoolchildren affected by the recent floods and landslides and re- building of damaged schools, was granted this week. Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has proposed to relocate some schools, while rehabilitating the rest of the schools, providing necessary facilities such as furniture, libraries, laboratories and sports items, as well as 3 sets of school uniforms per student.

The Cabinet paper submitted said, due to the recent disaster, around 472 schools have been damaged, while some of the schools need to be relocated due to threat of further destruction.

Other decisions were to provide shoes for students in rural and isolated areas by providing vouchers from 2017, and modernising classrooms for quality education, by replacing their wooden and iron furniture with PVC free polymer furniture, within the next 4 years.

Meanwhile, Minister of Higher Education & Highways, Lakshman Kiriella too received Cabinet approval to award contracts for construction of buildings in universities.

The buildings to be constructed are 6- storied for the Faculty of Science and Lecture halls for the University of Colombo, Lecture for Kelaniya University and Faculty of Technology in University of Sri Jayawardenapura.

The Cabinet also approved a decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during President Sirisena's visit to Bangaladesh. Both University Grants Commissions are to sign the MoU. The proposal was made by Minister Lakshman Kiriella.

The Govt also decided to introduce a loan scheme for graduates to start new businesses. The loans are to be provided through the Bank of Ceylon and the Peoples Banks. From over 80 applications, 40 proposals selected by the sectoral Education Committee will receive l o a n s. P r i m e M i n i s t e r R a n i l Wickremesinghe, as Minister of National Policies & Economic Affairs, made the proposal.

Approval to implement a short term programme to provide short term training for Sri Lankan professionals in Space, Technology, Applications, Robotics and Bio Engineering was also approved by the Cabinet. Training is taking place according to the Cooperation agreements between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Russia.