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Upgrading WP pilot schools under National school supervision
View(s):The Education Ministry has introduced a new concept to upgrade schools in the Western Province (WP), Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena told Education Times.
Accordingly, RoyalCollege, Ananda College, Nalanda College, Visakha Vidyalaya, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Hindu College, Bambalapitiya, and Muslim Ladies College will be appointed as supervisory schools of seven WP schools to upgrade them as new National schools, the minister said.
The Education Ministry will take over seven schools in the WP as a solution to Grade 1 admission problems in leading schools in Colombo.
The Colombo district development committee has named five Sinhala medium schools, namely Mattegoda Kirigampamunuwa Vidyalaya, Bambalapitiya Vaishakya Vidyalaya, Polhengoda Agramathya Vidyalaya, Madiwela Rahula Vidyalaya and Kalalgoda Vidyalaya, while a Tamil and Muslim school is yet to be named.
The Cabinet paper on “Development of five New Child-Friendly Primary Schools within the District of Colombo, as a solution to the problem of Grade 1 admissions, due to the limited number of students that could be admitted to Grade 1 in 2016, under Supreme Court Case No. 232/2011”, was submitted by Education Minister, Bandula Gunewardena and received Cabinet approval.
The Cabinet paper states that, “As a result of the expansion of population in and around the city of Colombo, there is a high demand for admission of children to those schools which are generally regarded as popular in this area. The main reason for the expansion of population is that a large number of people in the middle management and top management jobs in the private sector and the government sector have settled in Colombo and suburbs.”
The schools to be upgraded, will be handed over to the National schools for guidance and supervision, to ensure their development as qualitative primary schools. The seven schools will be transformed into model primary National schools, and priority given to children of State employees, who seek admission to these developed schools.
“It has been proposed to recommend measures for children from these schools who pass the Grade 5 scholarship examination, to be admitted to the relevant National schools on the basis of specific cutoff marks, while the rest of the children are admitted to Mahindodaya Secondary Schools,” the Minister said.
According to the Ministry, Royal College, Colombo, with 10 Grade 1 classes, received 3,500 applications to Grade 1 in 2014. However, only 400 students (11.43%) were admitted.
Ananda College Colombo received 1,900 applications for Grade 1 in 2014, of which 240 (12%) were admitted.
DS Senanayake College Colombo received 2,688 applications for Grade 1, of which only 280 (10.42%) gained admission to seven Grade 1 classrooms.
Similarly, Visakha Vidyalaya received 1,651 applications for Grade 1, while only 200 gained admission. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya received 1,397 applications for Grade 1 and only 160 gained admission. Hindu College Colombo received 433 applications for Grade 1, of which only 240 gained admission and Muslim Ladies College received 600 applications for Grade 1, of which 240 were admitted.
This decision was taken following a study and recommendation by a Cabinet Sub Committee headed by former Education Minister and present Environment & Renewable Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha, and comprising Water Supply & Drainage Minister, Dinesh Gunawardane, Science & Technology Research Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzie and MP Thilanga Sumathipala.
The Ministry will provide the required physical resources, trained teachers and principals possessing special leadership qualities, as human resources for each school listed.
The Minister also noted that there aren’t sufficient National Schools in Colombo for girls, compared with the National schools available for boys. He proposed to develop Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya at Narahenpita, into a Mahindodaya National School, to transform it to a fully fledged National School in 2015-2016.
At present there are 351 National schools in the country which come under the direct supervision of the Education Ministry and not the related Provincial Council Education Ministry.
- Nadia Fazlulhaq