Oxfam, EI to reconstruct tsunami hit schools

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 February 2005, 17:59 GMT]
Education International (EI) and Oxfam-Netherlands Thursday signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Ministry of Education for reconstructing fourteen schools which were destroyed in December 26 tsunami in the northeast and south of Sri Lanka. Mr.Fred van Leeuwen, General Secretary of the Education International, Ms Sylvia Borren, General Director of the Oxfam-Netherlands and Dr Ms. Tara De Mel, Secretary to the Ministry of Education signed the MoU, education Ministry sources said

Of the fourteen schools, nine will be constructed in the northeast province at a cost of 475 million rupees.

The Schools for the South will be constructed at a cost of 320 million rupees, sources said.

Dr de Mel thanked the Education International and Oxfam-Netherlands for their assistance to improve the education in tsunami hit areas. She said although the Sri Lanka government has signed MoUs with foreign governments and international and national non-governmental organizations, this is the first time the government has signed MoUs with organizations representing world teachers to reconstruct schools.

Mr.Fred van Leeuwen and Ms Sylvia Borren also spoke.

Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union also participated in the event.

Schools to be constructed in the northeast are:

• Trincomalee District: Nilaveli Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam (Rs 70 million), Kuchchaveli Al Nooriya Vidiyalayam (Rs 44 million), Cheenanveli Athavan Vidiyalayam (Rs 42 million), Upooral Sivasakthi Vidiyalayam (Rs 37 million)
• Batticaloa District: Kurukkalmadam Kalaivani Maha Vidiyalayam (Rs 82 million), Chettipalayam Maha Vidiyalayam (Rs 74 million)
• Mullaitivu district: Mullaitivu Hindu Tamil Vidiyalayam (Rs 30 million), Mullivaikal East Government Tamil Mixed School (Rs 30 million)
• Amparai district: Oluvil Al-Jailani Vidiyalayam (Rs 58 million)