Govt. to expand 13-Year Compulsory Education system: Akila

The Government will expand the 13- Year Compulsory Education system from next week, by introducing it to more schools, Education Minaister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the Education Times.

Accordingly, the programme will be expanded to 712 more schools at an event presided over by Prime Minister Ranil Wi ckr e m e s i n g h e, next Thursday at Temple Trees.

Currently, the programme is carried out only in 154 schools as a pilot project.

Minister Kariyawasam said they believe a total of 866 schools will be sufficient to ensure that all students will benefit from the 13-Year Compulsory Education programme, but will be expanded annually, in keeping with the requirements.

In order to carry out the programme, 5,145 more teachers have been recruited to teach 26 other subjects required for the progrmme.

He said they expect that some 50,000 more students will continue their Education, instead of dropping off after the GCE O/L exam.

Mr Kariyawasam said that the objective of the programme introduced on the initiative of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was to ensure that students continue their education, instead of dropping off the system, assuming they were failures, after being unsuccessful at the O/L exam.

The Education Ministry has invited teachers and students to attend the event next week.