• Article rank
• 4 Jan 2012
• Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
• BY SANDUN A. JAYASEKERA MINISTER ALAHAPPERUMA

Skills training country’s biggest challenge: Dullas

The biggest challenge before the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development is to train 130,000 youth required for the country by 2016 and if the Ministry failed to achieve that target the development programme of the government will be affected, Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.
“If I could not meet the target of training the number of youth in various disciplines by 2016, I accept that I am a failed politician and resign,” Minister Alahapperuma vowed.
Minister Alahapperuma was addressing a ceremony held at the Vocational Training Centre at the Tissamaharama Vihara to recruit students and distribute vocational training equipment.

It was in 1972 the second phase of organized vocational training started in Sri Lanka after the British started the first phase in 1893 at Maradana. The third phase of the national vocational training programme was started under President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the Labour Minister under Chandrika Kumaratunga government when he introduced the Vocational Training Act.
“A national recognition was given to vocational training when this Act was enacted. The vocational training certificate was also accepted as a qualification at job interviews. In addition, National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) has also been set up to give opportunity to higher education in vocational training which marked a turning point in the sector,” Minister Alahapperuma said.
Minister Alahapperuma said some parents are still reluctant to direct their children for vocational training. Their desire is to send their children to a traditional university which does not guarantee an employment after graduation in contrast to the vocational training certificate that ensures a job,” he said. “Students, parents, policy makers and the public must give up the mentality of obtaining a subject centered university degrees as opposed to the skills and trade centered vocational training certificates that ensures a job, Minister Alahapperuma said.

• 4 Jan 2012
• Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
• BY ROHANA CHANDRADASA

SEVEN RAJARATA VARSITY MEDICOS SUSPENDED

Seven students in the medical faculty of the Rajarata University alleged to have been involved in ragging of new students have been suspended from attending classes on a decision taken by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor K.A. Nandasena yesterday.
Professor Nandasena said that after the students were identified as having been involved in ragging the new students of 2011 the vice chancellor had taken this decision to suspend them from attending classes.
Accordingly suspension from classes and other academic activities was imposed on the students with effect from yesterday. Their right to enter the medical faculty premises had also been suspended.

The vice chancellor has arranged to conduct a special inquiry into the incident and follow subsequent disciplinary procedures.
Those subjected to the suspension order were second year students with a female student among them, according to the sources.
Prof. Nandasena said these measures had been taken as ragging in universities had been banned by the government and stern disciplinary action would be taken against them after holding an investigation.

• 4 Jan 2012
• Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
• BY VINEETHA M. GAMAGE, ROHANA CHANDRADASA AND JAYANTHA SAMARAKOON

A/L RESULTS RE-CORRECTION APPLICATIONS INCREASE BY 70%

With the number of applications for re-correction of answer papers of the controversial A/L results 2011 increasing rapidly, many post offices in the country have run short of receipt books.
According to sources when compared with similar applications in the past years, such requests this year had exceeded by about 70 per cent.
As it was customary for the applicants to pay the re-correction fees at the post offices and submit such applications along with the cash counterfoils issued by the post offices on or before January 8, 2012, the corresponding increase in the issue of these counterfoils this year had resulted in the post offices running out of stock of the relevant books.
For example in the year 2010 only 600 applicants had paid in their fees at the Borella post office, whereas during the first two days of applications, 556 cash counterfoils had been issued.

It was evident from the postal authorities that post masters of most post offices in Colombo had ordered extra counterfoil books this year. Meanwhile, the Anuradhapura general post office had earned an income of Rupees 187,500 as re correction fees from students of the area on January 2 and 3.. The fee for re correction of each subject was Rupees 250.
An education officer stated that this was the first occasion where applications for re correction of an examination conducted by the government witnessed so many applicants in relation to the A/L examination held in August 2011.
Resulting from this result fiasco 16 students awaiting results had complained to the Human Rights Commission stating that in view of the unacceptable results released, their fundamental rights had been infringed upon; the Secretary of the Commission, Attorney Nimal Punchihewa informed yesterday.
He also said that a report had been called from the Commissioner General of Examinations regarding this complaint and on receipt investigations would commence. It was expected to use the A/L result sheets annexed to the plaints filed by the complainants for these investigations.

One doing the work of three cause of A/L mess up – Dullus

January 3, 2012, 12:00 pm , The Island.


Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dallus Alahapperuma yesterday attributed the GCE (A/L) examination results mess-up to the Examination Department assigning one data-entry operator to handle the workload of three workers.

The revelation was made at the launch of a new vocational training programme at Narahenpita.

The minister said that initial investigations had indicated that the mess-up could have been caused by one person handling the workload of three. However, the ongoing inquiries conducted by a special team appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be able to establish the truth, he said.

The minister accused the Opposition of playing politics by demanding the resignation of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena over the unfortunate situation. In that case, he, too, as a member of the Cabinet should accept responsibility and give up his portfolio, the National List MP said.