Equitable distribution of funds for NE schools urged

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 January 2003, 20:51 GMT]
Addressing the concluding session of the three-day education workshop held in Trincomalee on Wednesday, Mr. Arun Master, the deputy head of the Tamil Eelam Educational Development Division (TEEDD), called for equitable distribution of funds for basic facilities to all schools in the North-East.

"It is a crime to provide funds to construct luxury buildings in some schools when several rural schools function with out basic facilities such as toilets, wells and proper buildings to house class rooms," said Mr. Arun Master.

The workshop, organized by the Northeastern Provincial Ministry of Education to finalize the education development proposals, was held at the Management Centre of the Provincial Ministry of Education at Thulasipuram in Trincomalee.

"No school in the North-East, whether in Tamil, Muslim or Sinhalese areas, should be seen in the year 2004 without basic facilities such as toilets, wells, electricity, good buildings and playgrounds. Development proposals should be formulated and implemented in such a way to provide such basic facilities to schools in 2003," Arun Master said.

According to available data, about forty-five schools in the Trincomalee district have not been provided with toilets, wells for drinking water, better buildings and other basic facilities. In other districts in the province also same situation prevails, education sources said.

In his speech, Mr. Arun Master said that the LTTE Educational Development Division would work for the development of education in the northeast irrespective of caste, creed and race. "We must be ready with development plans in our hands as we receive foreign financial aid for its implementation," he stressed.

Mr.S.Rangaraja, Chief Secretary of the North East Provincial Council said collecting data and keeping them in files would not serve any purpose. Those data should be converted into development plans that could be implemented for the welfare of the people. "Changes are taking place around us. Hence we should also change our attitudes and thinking," said Mr. Rangaraja.

Provincial Secretary to the Ministry of Education Mr.R.Thiagalingam also spoke at the workshop.