EDUCATION IS THE SECOND PRIORITY OF THE PRESIDENT

Education Minister, Dullas Alahapperuma said that priority has been given to education next to national defence in the process of developing the country, according to the election manifesto of the president and as such, a huge transformation in this sphere could be expected within the country.

He made this remark at the Ministry of Education while officially assuming duties yesterday.

Most schools and classrooms in the country belonged to the 19th century, whereas teachers belonged to the 20th century creating a huge void when providing education to children who belonged to the 21st century. This situation should be thoroughly examined and solutions should be provided, the minister said.

President Gotabaya is unbiased, and your political party or your dogmas are of no relevance to him. The political culture in the past, was marked with the swinging of power between two major parties. That should change. We need to move forward with officials who work, he further commented.

The minister requested that no money should be spent to organise welcoming ceremonies with regard to his appointment to the new ministerial position, and emphasised that there was no need for displaying posters, banners of himself, the president or the prime minister anywhere in the ministry. A number of ministerial officers including the Secretary to the Education Ministry M. N. Ranasinghe, participated in this event.