With a variety of changes:

Leadership training for varsity qualified to commence - Minister S B Dissanayake

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The annual leadership training programme for students who had qualified to enter universities, would commence on May 28, 2012 with a number of changes, Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake said.

"We were to inform the students who had been selected by letter for the first part of the leadership training programme this year by obtaining the highest results at the G.C.E.(A/L) Examination. We clearly note that these letters to follow the leadership training programme or providing certificates would not be a qualification to enter to universities," the minister said.

The first programme of "Leadership Training" for students was conducted last year.

A number of allegations had been made by some students and certain parties with vested interests, who were against this training programme.

All measures are in place to commence the leadership training programme this year, with several changes initiated, while paying attention to those allegations, Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne said.

"Measures have also been taken to reduce the physical training exercise programme. Accordingly, the morning physical training programme has been toned down," he said.

"Measures have already been taken to increase the interval period between training periods and to assign university lecturers as much as possible to conduct lectures which had been earlier conducted by Army instructors," he added.

Measures have also been taken to hold the Leadership Training Programme at 28 army camps islandwide, while over10,000 students will participate in the training programme this year.

When the training programme was introduced, certain parties, such as student activists, lecturers' unions and several political parties tried to create a conflict situation in the university system.That type of situation would not arise again, as necessary changes have been initiated prior to commencement of the new training programme," Dr. Nawaratne said.