The first ever National Education Act will be introduced next year, the chairman of the committee appointed to formulate the Act said yesterday.
Former Education Director General G.B. Gunawardna who heads the seventeen-member committee said the committee had already held two discussions since its appointment recently by the Education Minister on a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“The committee has been asked in its terms of reference to formulate a ‘National Education Act’ as Sri Lanka did not have a coherent, clear cut policy or law on education since gaining independence. National education for the last 68 years was guided and governed by a colonial era document called ‘Education Ordinance’ of 1939. This ordinance has been amended many times to suit various demands. For instance, amendments such as Pirivena Act of 1979, Public Exam Act of 1968, National Institute of Education Act of 1985 and Colleges of Education Act of 1985 have been added to the ordinance in the past,” Dr. Gunawardana said.
The Committee will focus its attention mainly on the school curriculum, the medium of education, teacher recruitment, qualifications, teacher training and teaching quality, private / international school education, tuition education and pirivena education etc, he said.
“The task of the committee is to formulate an Act to monitor and regulate school education in the country up to the next century,” Dr. Gunawardana said.
Dr Gunawardana pointed out that the Act will be subjected to a broad dialogue before going through Parliament as education was a national issue. The committee expects to formulate the National Education Act through compromise and consensus.

By Sandun A Jayasekera seroxat zoloft

 

Source:http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/09/04/news/09.asp