“I am happy the Amity Schools Project is continuing under the present Government,” Rauff Hakeem at President’s House meeting

[July 24, 2003 - 10.45 GMT] 

Principals and representatives of 160 schools from eight provinces gathered at President’s House, Colombo yesterday to review and discuss the progress of the Amity Schools Project.

The Amity Schools admit children from all races and religions aiming at building communal harmony among them. 

For nearly half a century, Sri Lankan schools have conducted classes in different language streams contributing to the polarization of society. Children were deprived of mingling with those of another community or language.

“We’ll never be able to solve the ethnic problem in our country this way. This would only help in distancing them more from each other,” President Kumaratunga said yesterday.

“Communal harmony must begin at the school level and I believe this project is essential to achieve it,” she said.

The President pledged with Cabinet approval steps will be taken to implement a joint programme in collaboration with the Education Ministry to rejuvenate the project.

The Principal of Kaleena Vidya College of Uva Province shared a success story, related to an incident where he had ordered new neck-ties for the children.

“A majority of our children come from very poor families. So, I was amazed to see everyone wearing a new tie during the school assembly the following week. The children who were more privillieged had pooled-in to buy ties for the less privilleged, race or religion was of no consequence to them” he said.

English serves as the medium of instruction in some key subjects such as Math, Environment & Health Science in Amity Schools. In addition there is a compulsory requirement for the children to learn Sinhala or Tamil as a third language.

“While English is the gateway to knowledge, in Sri Lanka, it is indeed a link language which bridges the gap between different communities,” the Principal of St. Patricks College, Jaffna said.

“There is an overwhelming response to this project from students and parents, because the privillege of having an English education hitherto accessible only to the affluent people is now open even to the children in ordinary schools,” he added.

During the one and a half hour discussion the principals also noted the difficulties they face, such as, delays in the provision of free textbooks in time and scarcity of teachers qualified in English.

Minister Rauff Hakeem also the leader of the Muslim Congress endorsed the Amity Schools Project and said when this project was begun with the belief that all future Governments too would welcome it. 

“I am happy to note that this project still continues under the present Government,” he stressed.

The Amity Schools Project, an idea mooted by the President was approved by the Cabinet in July, 2001.

Officials of Education Ministry and members of the English Association of Sri Lanka attended the meeting.

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Last Updated Date: July 24, 2003  -10.45 GMT.