News
Tuition classes to be allowed to resume under guidelines from Jan 25 with eye on O/L exam
By Saman Indrajith
Education Minister, Professor G.L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday that no country in the world had been able to achieve the optimum results through an online education system.
Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Minister said that the government was carrying out a just and reasonable campaign to counter the ill-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Schools are shut down in many countries such as the UK, the US and France. The success or failure of a campaign should be measured only at the end of that campaign and not at its beginning. Only five months have passed since the appointment of the Cabinet of Ministers. The government has put in place a systematic campaign to counter the negative impact of the pandemic,” the minister said.
“Nowhere in the world has the online education system achieved all its desired results,” the Minister said.
Opposition Leader Premadasa said that there were 300,000 teachers who conduct private tuition classes and around 25,000 institutes conducting tuition classes in the country. They created around one million direct and indirect job opportunities. Owing to the pandemic most of them had lost their employment and action should be taken to permit them to reopen soon. “It is the children who have been mostly affected by the closure of the tuition classes. It is now proven that the online education system cannot achieve the expected results as many children do not have technical capabilities to participate in online classes. If this continues further there would be an imbalance in the job market,” the opposition leader said.
Prof Peiris said that the Ministry might consider allowing tuition classes to resume from Jan 25 according to health guidelines.
He said that his ministry had conducted discussions with health authorities to prepare a set of guidelines to be followed in tuition classes. Grade 11 classes are scheduled to resume in the Western Province on Jan 25. He said that tuition classes might be allowed to resume at the same time provided that there was an assurance that health guidelines would be followed when tuition classes resumed.
Professor Peiris said that he had discussions with the health authorities ten days ago and he was informed at the time not to resume tuition classes immediately.
The Minister said he was told to resume tuition classes after resuming school academic activities in stages.
As a result, the Minister said that tuition classes would be allowed to resume from Jan 25.
Latest News
China pledges continued support for Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity, and Independence – Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, stated that China is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.
This statement was made during a meeting between President Anura Kumar Disanayake and Zhao Leji, which took place earlier today (16) as part of President Disanayake’s four-day official visit to China.
During the meeting, Chairman Zhao warmly welcomed President Disanayake, further emphasizing that working with Sri Lanka in a continuous and cooperative manner is a key expectation of the Chinese National People’s Congress.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake; Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong; and Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, Majintha Jayasinghe, were also present at the event.
Business
$3.7 billion foreign direct investment secured during President’s first state visit to China
During President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s four-day state visit to China, Sri Lanka marked a significant milestone by securing the largest foreign direct investment to date. This significant achievement was formalized this morning (16) with the signing of an agreement between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Energy and Sinopec, a leading Chinese international petroleum corporation.
Under this $3.7 billion investment, a state-of-the-art oil refinery with a capacity of 200,000 barrels will be constructed in the Hambantota region. A substantial portion of the refinery’s output is planned for export, further enhancing the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
This major investment from China is expected to bolster Sri Lanka’s economic growth while uplifting the livelihoods of low-income communities in the Hambantota area. Moreover, the benefits of this project are anticipated to positively impact the overall Sri Lankan population in the near future.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake and Director General of Government Information H. S. K. J. Bandara, alongside other dignitaries were present when the agreement was signed.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake extended an invitation to Chinese investors to explore investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the nation’s stable governance and transparent economy.
He made these remarks as the keynote speaker at the “Investment Forum” held today (16), jointly organized by Chinese state and private enterprises.
The forum was a significant event during President Disanayake’s third day of his four-day state visit to China, undertaken at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prominent Chinese corporations, including China Tianying Inc. (CNTY), China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., China Communications Construction Company Ltd., China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC Group), Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd., China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Energy International Group Company Ltd., Guangzhou Public Transport Group and Huawei BYD Auto participated in the event.
President Disanayake also engaged in cordial discussions with the leadership of these corporations.
The forum was attended by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, and Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Majintha Jayasinghe, among others.
Dozens killed as Israeli strikes continue ahead of Gaza ceasefire
China pledges continued support for Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity, and Independence – Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China
$3.7 billion foreign direct investment secured during President’s first state visit to China
-
News3 days agoSri Lanka’s passport third strongest in South Asia
-
Features3 days agoBackstreet Boys’ Nick Carter to perform in Colombo!
-
Opinion4 days agoTribute to late Commander (MCD) Shanthi Kumar Bahar, RWP Sri Lanka Navy
-
Sports5 days agoDialog celebrates Chamari Athapaththu’s ICC nominations and outstanding achievements
-
News5 days agoBritish conductor at Khemadasa anniversary concert on Jan. 25
-
News2 days agoFSP warns of Indian designs to swamp Sri Lanka
-
Editorial4 days agoJekylls and Hydes
-
News3 days agoElectricity regulator contradicts Minister; tariff reduction certain