President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said school teachers need to organize school trips for schoolchildren to inspire and expand their horizons.
“I request teachers to select places such as rehabilitation centres and cancer hospitals for students to really see the world, learn lessons and expand their understanding,” President Sirisena also said.
He made these observations at the annual prize giving of Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa on Thursday.
President Sirisena pointed out that the present government has given priority to education. He said the most wonderful voice in the world is the voice of children. He also said children should succeed in both education and extra-curricular activities to realize their dreams.
“The government has given the utmost priority for education as part of our government’s policy. For a strong country, we need smart, skilled and educated people. We have taken several steps towards this goal. Providing education to all children is the most important endeavour,” President Sirisena said.
“There should be no defects in the education system. It is important to provide the education sector with all necessary facilities. We have allocated more for the education sector in the last two years; more than any other government ever did. According to my knowledge, the second most important place given in the Budget is the education sector. There are all sorts of educational institutes in the country but all of us should go for one objective,” he said.
“I am not just a father, but also a grandfather. When my granddaughter gets ready to go to school in the morning, she comes to our room and chats with her grandmother. We, as a government and as parents, should listen to the children’s heartbeat and understand what they want and what they expect from us,” President Sirisena said. President Sirisena added that children in this era receive more information and knowledge unlike before. He observed that children are more exposed to digitization as well. At the same time, children are prone to fall prey to anti-social behaviours, he said.
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