He thanked Microsoft’s Partners in Learning global initiative and the Asian Development Bank funded Secondary Education Modernization Project (SEMP) for their untiring efforts in order to prepare the younger generation and teacher community with much required ICT knowledge..

Srian De Silva Wijeratne, the Country Manager, Microsoft noted that they consider this year as very important as it’s the year of ICT. According to the MOU between the Government and Microsoft, they initiate many events and this is one of their major initiatives to enhance the standard of ICT in school communities. Nearly 40,000 teachers and students have dedicated their time and knowledge for this competition. Also he mentioned that Microsoft and Education Ministry have plans to bring ICT to remote areas in the Island, especially to the Eastern Province.

Talking about their plans for the future, they plan to establish 2800 full fledged ICT- Laboratories Island wide; 1 million e-mail accounts among teacher – student community; connecting 1700 schools through School net the widest computer network in the country providing access to educational web sites with over 3 million hits by teachers/students on a daily basis; ICDL for education scholarships for 50,000 teachers; ICT knowledge to rural communities through 20 e-Villages; Computers for teachers at concessionary rates through Teacher PC Programme; Career based ICT education for school leavers at 1500 rural Computer Learning Centres; facilitating the distance higher education courses at 150 Computer Learning Centres; websites in 600 schools and web pages among thousands of students and teachers; A National College of Education for ICT Teachers etc.

At the occasion the Innovative teachers and Students who competed and won were awarded and the teachers who got the first and the second places will be given an opportunity to go to Malaysia for an ICT Summit.

Anura Dissanayake, Project Director, Secondary Education Modernization Project 11, noted that he was happy with regard to the response of the student community who took part in the competition, which is just 1% of the school going community in the Island. Also he said that the success of this project depends on the participation and innovation of the teachers and the students.