Colombo (LNW): India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra arrived in Sri Lanka on an official visit this (10) evening, reports said.
The Indian Foreign Secretary’s arrival aims the arrangement of affairs pertaining to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi, India scheduled for July 20 this year, according to sources.
This will be President Wickremesinghe’s first ever official tour to India as the island nation’s Head of State since he took office last year.
During his visit, Wickremesinghe expects to hold bilateral talks with the neighbour country, and also meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s education system will undergo an educational transformation and essential measures will be taken to produce students who are prepared for the twenty first century, pledged Education Minister Susil Premjayanth, speaking at a press briefing held at the President’s Media Centre (PMC) today (10).
Addressing the occasion themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’, the Minister emphasised that human resources will be managed for that purpose and education will be reformatted in accordance with global standards in order to produce a sustainable and high-quality education.
The Minister further commented:
In developed countries, the Ministry of Education acts as a separate entity from the Central Government and a Provincial Minister is in charge of the Ministry of Education. The educational rights of children in countries like India, Canada and Japan have been safeguarded as a result of this educational pattern.
The Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka is under the control of the Central Government. All schools in our country, with the exception of 399, are governed by the Provincial Ministries of education. The initiative to establish 1,000 national schools was launched in 2001. When the 13th Constitutional Amendment was initiated, there were 17 national schools in this country. However, as a result of political initiatives or the requests of individual Education Ministers, there was a dramatic rise in the number of national schools. However, one cannot say that it led to high-quality education. There was a period in time when 28 national schools were created overnight. But right now, the education industry needs to undergo a transformative change. Instead of the exam-centered education system, students should be aligned in a student-centered education pattern.
There was a significant setback in education as a result of Covid-19 and the recent economic downturn. Additionally, socio economic issues made it impossible to run the schools effectively due to fuel and gas concerns. Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) and Teacher trade unions did not attend to evaluate the answer sheet of the Advanced Level examination. The evaluation of the A-Level exam questions has been completed, and that matter is now resolved. I think the exam results could be released in the middle of the next month.
The A-Level exams for this year are scheduled to take place in December, according to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education has taken steps to hold all the examinations in the prescribed year.
Also, the program needed to reform the new education is currently being implemented. Plans have been made to start teaching activities through English medium in association with the British Council. For this purpose, 13,800 teachers have been trained so far. The updating of textbooks for English was also started promptly.
The addition of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology to the curriculum is proposed for two grade levels, Grade 6-9 and Grade 10-13. We are attempting to secure Information Technology assistance for this from companies like Microsoft.
About fifty principal positions are open. While conducting a competitive examination for the recruitment, a trade union went to court and got an injunction. For the recruitment of teacher administration services, there are roughly 22000 openings. Government employees who applied for the position have also gone to court to explain why they are unable to take the competitive exam. The recruitment process has thus far been delayed as a result. Due to 100 people’s human rights being brought up in court, 4.2 million students’ human rights have already been violated. As a result, we think the court will rule on this issue quickly.
We are working to continue the ‘13 plus’ education program presented by the President when he was the Prime Minister. A selection committee has been established to expand the education sector and the necessary proposals are currently being prepared. Accordingly, the necessary program to expand education will be prepared jointly with Non-Governmental Organizations in the future. Arrangements are being made to provide loan facilities to Non-Government Universities as well as to create an environment where they can contribute to the economy of this country.
It is intended to establish a training University in Kotagala to train students who choose to go to a plantation in order to safeguard the educational rights of the children of estate workers. By substantially bolstering the regulating program of private and international schools, we are committed to ensuring children’s right to education. With regard to all of these issues, we are working to bring about a change in education from next year.
Colombo (LNW): The deadline to submit appeals for the “Aswesuma” Welfare Benefit Scheme will end today (July 10).
As of now, more than 825,000 appeals have been received in this regard, according to Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe.
The Minister added that applications will be called again for the programme starting from the beginning of August, and that those who may have missed out on the previous round can apply again.
Colombo (LNW): The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today (10) ordered that a report on the measures taken to compensate those affected by the maritime disaster due to the burning and sinking of the cargo vessel MV X-Press Pearl be produced before the Court before September 15, 2023.
This was when the petition filed on the disaster was taken up before the Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Justices Murdhu Fernando, Shiran Gunaratne, Achala Wengappuli and Priyantha Fernando today (10).
Lawyers appearing for the aggrieved fishing community raised concerns that they are yet to receive compensation for the massive losses suffered due to the disaster two years ago, and Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle appearing for the AG’s Office said that measures are underway in this regard.
The Bench ordered that the process in this regard must be expedited and ordered the lawyers representing the aggrieved party to file the compensation requests before other relevant bodies including the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA).
The hearing of the petition was adjourned till October 05 and 06, 2023.
Colombo (LNW): The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to not to renew the money-changing permits of 15 money changer (MC) companies for the year 2023, in what it described as non-compliance with a condition of the permits issued for the year before.
These MC companies are;
Aruna Forex (Pvt) Ltd.,
Brescia Grameen (Pvt) Ltd.,
Jeya Forex Exchange (Pvt) Ltd.,
Kamal Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.,
Kudamadu Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd.,
Midna Mini Market (Pvt) Ltd.,
New Lanka Gold House (Pvt) Ltd.,
Rafeek’s Gems (Pvt) Ltd.,
Rimha Jewellers (Pvt) Ltd.,
Salaka Trust Invesmements (Pvt) Ltd.,
Sharanga Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd.,
Sornam Forex (Pvt) Ltd.,
Thamasha Forex (Pvt) Ltd.,
Universal Money Changers (Pvt) Ltd., and
Vasanthas International Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd.
The Monetary Board added that the relevant conditions were communicated to the said MCs on February 22, 2023, but they had failed to comply, and therefore, are longer permitted to engage in money-changing activities, and buying and selling.
Exchanging foreign currency with such companies are considered as a contravention of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017, it added.
Colombo (LNW): The results of the 2022 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be issued by mid-August this year, and the results of the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level Exam before Christmas this year, announced the Education Ministry.
Education Minister Susil Premjayanth made this announcement today (10).
Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka Rupee remains about steady against the US Dollar as revealed by the official exchange rates list issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (10).
Accordingly, the buying price of the US Dollar is Rs. 304.02 and the selling price Rs. 318.23.
Colombo (LNW): The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) is set to consult the Supreme Court today (10) in objection to the private member’s bill tabled in Parliament by Ruling Party MP Jayantha Ketagoda on reconvening Local Government Authorities (LGAs) without calling in an election.
The bill in question clearly violates the Constitution of Sri Lanka, emphasised PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi, who condemned the MP’s move and called it being tabled under the blessings of the government.
He alleged that the government is putting every effort to drag in the holding of the much dragged in Local Government Election.
Colombo (LNW): The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said it continues to maintain its stance that domestic debt does not need to be restructured for debt sustainability, given that local debt has already been subject to restructuring towards high inflation and massive Rupee depreciation last year.
The CBSL originally intended to stand against domestic debt restructuring, but some form of restructuring had to be accepted during the debt negotiation process, in the bid to secure concessions from foreign creditors and facilitate an early resolution, thereby avoiding a prolonged economic crisis in the country, said Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe.
The CBSL Governor made this remark in response to rising queries on the Bank’s strong stance that domestic debt will not be subject to restructuring when the controversial sovereign ‘debt default’ was first announced on April 12, 2022, one that is highly contradictory to the government current policy on debt restructuring.
Accordingly, the CBSL Chief emphasised that even today, he maintains the same position that domestic debt should not be restructured for debt sustainability, adding that the foreign creditors, on the other hand, had been lacking satisfaction on only fiscal and other structural adjustments being made in the economy.
He revealed that foreign creditors asked for more in terms of restructuring the domestic debt as they wanted equal treatment of both foreign and domestic debt.
Colombo (LNW): The passenger bus that toppled at Kotaleeya Bridge in Manampitiya area yesterday was recovered this (10) morning and the death toll in the accident may likely to rise, sources said.
A search operation jointly conducted by the Navy, the Army and the Police Special Task Force (STF) has been launched to find out if there are more bodies, Police said.
As of now, there are 11 confirmed deaths from the accident and 41 injured.
