General: 'No more fancy jaunts for schools sports' - Education Ministry

The Ministry of Education has decided that from the year 2017 onward that only sports, games and international tournaments selected by the Ministry will be sanctioned by them. 

This will come into effect in January 2017. 

The reason for this decision is that they take part in unwanted events and go on hunting for money from sponsors and spoil their name. 

The Ministry of Education has named 12 games and tournaments in this effect. 

They are: Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships, South Asian Games, Youth World Championships, Youth Asian Championships, Junior Commonwealth Championships, Junior Asian Championships, Junior South Asian Championships, International Schools Championships and Asian Schools Championships. 

Championships organised by International Sports Associations, Asian Sports Associations and South Asian Sports Associations have also received the blessings of the Ministry of Sports. 

The Education Ministry says that prior approval must be obtained if local schools associations plan to take part in such events. 

In this connection the Education Ministry has appointed a three member committee and prior approval has to be obtained by them. 

If the three member committee approves these activities, the Education Ministry will forward the funds for such tours. 

There are thirty six schools sports associations currently in the island. 

The Ministry of Education says that the constitutions of these bodies have now expired and that new constitutions have to be formed. 

The Education Ministry under their new five year development plan has has made arrangements to set up a National Sports School (NSS) at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex in Diyagama. 

The initial work on this project will commence during the first week of January 2017 and the entire construction work will be completed by 2020. 

However, the education and sports programmes in this institution will begin in 2018. 

This will be the first ever NSS to be established in Sri Lanka. 

There will be classes from Grade – 7 to Grade – 13 with three parallel classes conducted under the Sinhala and Tamil mediums. 

The Government has allocated a sum of Rs. 300 million for this project. 

The Education Ministry is also planning to set up educational sports schools in all 98 Education Zones. 

There are also planning to recruit 3,850 physical training instructors (coaching level) during January-March 2017. 

The Education Ministry outlined a five year schools sports plan at a press conference at the Ministry Auditorium in Isurupaya where the Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi and Sports Consultant Sunil Jayaweera disclosed the above plans.