Mother tongue, religion, history compulsory in int’l schools

15 March 2014 01:51 am - 31 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The Cabinet has endorsed a proposal to teach the mother tongue, religion and history as compulsory subjects for local students from next year at private and international schools operating in the country, a minister said yesterday.

Obtained Cabinet approval for his proposal and that he would issue the necessary gazette notification nextweek

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane told Daily Mirror that he had obtained Cabinet approval for his proposal and that he would issue the necessary gazette notification next week.

According to the gazette notification the mother tongue and religion will be taught as compulsory subjects from Grade-1 while History would be taught from Grade-6 onwards.

“The Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Education has also approved my proposals. I have already instructed Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake to prepare the gazette notification to be issued next week. It will be implemented from January 1 next year,” the minister said.

He said there were concerns that some international and private schools might not offer these subjects in their curriculum.

“These subjects are compulsory only for local students studying at these schools. Some private schools are successfully teaching these subjects,” he said.

Sri Lanka has 78 private schools and 700 international schools with a student population of some 500,000.

The minister said a special unit would be set up at the Education Ministry to regulate the operation of international schools and monitor the implementation of this decision.
“We will set guidelines and standards for them to function. International schools in other countries are not allowed to function without the supervision of their Ministries of Education,” he said.(Kelum Bandara)

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Comments - 31

sama Saturday, 15 March 2014 02:49 PM

Gundu. This is not the need now . Turning attention from Costofliving stupid minister . via DM iPad app

Kim Monday, 17 March 2014 11:09 AM

[quote name="sl-liberal"]why make history compulsory? because we only have the past to admire about while standing in this graveyard of democracy and development.
Anyway it's good to know history and be proud of it so that's a good move. but sinhala?
why waste your time learning a dead language that is barely used in your life? I'm a software engineer and I've barely written anything in sinhala after leaving school.
Nothing should be forced. this is not north Korea, after all.
via DM Android App[/quote]

Where have you been mate, this is north korea

Manike Sunday, 16 March 2014 09:15 AM

government should take the control over International School curriculum, the syllabuses. ...International schools follow different syllabuses and books with no standard......we must give our students the mind and thought to love our mother land...This is the best country in the world ...really....only thing all the people having power should take the lead in whatever the organization.

dogelurker Sunday, 16 March 2014 08:30 AM

lol stuff like this makes me glad I dont live in Sri Lanka anymore

xlntgson Sunday, 16 March 2014 07:13 AM

Indian Ocean becomes Asia pacific!

Damith Sunday, 16 March 2014 11:04 AM

finally, they have understood. its what you should do if government schools dont have enough capacity at cities.. rather than doing some nonsence.. via DM Android App

Janaka Sunday, 16 March 2014 04:27 AM

Please state clearly. What is the mother tongue language and religion. We know history is common to all.
Janaka

Kiri Gamarala Sunday, 16 March 2014 03:31 AM

What if they start teaching English as mother tongue, Christianity as an international religion and European or American History?

Suq Madique Sunday, 16 March 2014 02:12 AM

[quote name="yuri"]Yeah, what kind of value you got in teaching religion? have you ever checked the CH4 ? or the latest Video ? wake up. leave the children from labeling[/quote]
C4 productions are fiction made to label the Army as murderers whereas they saved the nation, tamils included, from the LTTE and they're supporters can't stand it.

Paakeer Sunday, 16 March 2014 02:03 AM

Private schools are compelled to satisfy the wish of parents and students who pay for them. Most of the parents send their children to private school because they are fed up with government schools which do not meet the international trend. If the gov. guide the private schools then they must take the responsibility to provide employment for their students. Better give the private school their freedom.

yehiya Sunday, 16 March 2014 01:17 AM

Entire state schools administrations are failed. They need to bring down the private schools. Why forcefully teaching the subjects.

jim pappa Saturday, 15 March 2014 04:18 PM

Very good, Mr. Minister. People who don't know about their roots and are not disciplined are like robots sans hearts.

Suq Madique Saturday, 15 March 2014 10:57 AM

Which history? The one that was re-written by this govt hailing the rajapakse's as its saviors? Do'nt forget to mention Mervyn is a descendant of King Dutugemunu

martin Saturday, 15 March 2014 03:48 PM

Good move ! without knowing history & mother lang children become headless chickens with flaunt English. English is must , but we should know where we came from? what our values ? why we called sri Lankans. some think like white skin too much. but white only see us as brown. via DM Android App

bull dog Saturday, 15 March 2014 03:23 PM

His son went to night school moda hetta

bull dog Saturday, 15 March 2014 03:23 PM

His son went to night school moda hetta

ANTON Saturday, 15 March 2014 02:55 AM

MANTHIRI THUMO, WHAT ABOUT SEX AND COMPUTER EDUCATION ?

sama Saturday, 15 March 2014 02:48 PM

There r students in government schools mother tung is English . How about them via DM iPad app

bull dog Saturday, 15 March 2014 02:21 PM

Teach own house 1st rather then finding others mistakes

nema Saturday, 15 March 2014 10:33 AM

Good move. All three things r vital.

Mike Saturday, 15 March 2014 04:47 AM

How about persons whose mother tongue is English ??

Appu Saturday, 15 March 2014 10:16 AM

is it mordern history that ministers and their sons above the law??? can you please explain where your son studied??? via DM Android App

ABC Saturday, 15 March 2014 10:03 AM

How about our kids in overseas. Can embassies help to start to conduct some classes? via DM Android App

ryn Saturday, 15 March 2014 09:59 AM

cabinet is full of people who doesn't know the history how did they get such a thought. stop playing with education via DM Android App

SRILANKAN Saturday, 15 March 2014 04:26 AM

First he has to teach his son how to drive.................

yuri Saturday, 15 March 2014 04:20 AM

Yeah, what kind of value you got in teaching religion? have you ever checked the CH4 ? or the latest Video ? wake up. leave the children from labeling

Thakkadiya Saturday, 15 March 2014 09:46 AM

What about human values, principles, character building etc. Children see enough history of the achievements, follies, failures, back biting and the likes on TV day after day. Thanks to Professors, self appointed doctors, pseudo analysts and so on of the calibre of Merv, Wansa, SB, Rana Rina, Coulored wood and the likes. via DM iPad app

V Saturday, 15 March 2014 09:43 AM

@Regretting dad - I guess I could relate to that because I went to an international school and I can read, write and speak fluently only in English. I finished my degree and I'm looking for a job which needs me to speak the other two languages and I regret that I wasn't taught all three languages. Even though my mother tongue is Tamil, I can only speak it. That is embarrassing. via DM Android App

Don Joseph Wisidagama Saturday, 15 March 2014 09:26 AM

This should not come to be so. it should not interfere with foreign curriculum via DM Android App

Regretting Dad Saturday, 15 March 2014 09:04 AM

How are they going to evaluate the teaching. I think the curriculum should be set by the government and also make it compulsory to sit for local O/L in these subjects. I put my kids to internationals schools, as they said they will teach all three languages. now the school says they don't have the time !!!!
via DM Android App

sl-liberal Saturday, 15 March 2014 09:02 AM

why make history compulsory? because we only have the past to admire about while standing in this graveyard of democracy and development.
Anyway it's good to know history and be proud of it so that's a good move. but sinhala?
why waste your time learning a dead language that is barely used in your life? I'm a software engineer and I've barely written anything in sinhala after leaving school.
Nothing should be forced. this is not north Korea, after all.
via DM Android App

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Mother tongue, religion, history compulsory in int’l schools

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