by Saman Indrajith

The year 2001 has been declared as the year of Information Technology in the education sector by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Professor R.P.Gunawardane, Secretary to the Ministry said that the main objective of the declaration is to give utmost priority to the development of information technology in the school system, teacher training institutions and universities in the coming up year.

The Ministry has already launched a programme to provide computer units to over 6000 schools islandwide. "In addition, computer learning centers will be established in 1000 schools through the Secondary Education Modernization Project funded by the Asian Development Bank, effective from January 2001. It is expected to extend this programme to all schools with G.C.E. (A/L) classes (about 2500) schools through local and foreign funding within next three years," he said.

Through the university education reforms IT training has been included as an essential component of all degree programmes in the universities to provide modern computing facilities. As such, in 2001, Rs. 1000 million (1 billion) will be allocated on a special project with the approval of the Treasury, for the development of computer centers with Internet facilities, and also to provide computers to senior academics in the university system, Prof. Gunawardane said.

"All national colleges of education and teacher training centers are being provided with computer centers with Internet facility by the World Bank funded Teacher Education and Teacher Development Project."

The Department of Examination has been fully computerized with all modern facilities. Extensive computerization with net-working and Internet facilities is in progress at the Ministry, the Provincial offices, National Institute of Education and the University Grants Commission. Fully equipped National Education Information Services Center (NEIDC) with all modern computing facilities is being set-up at the Ministry. This national center will be fully operational by early 2001. All these activities are funded by the General Education Project-2 of the World Bank.