Disciplined human resource key to developed nation - President

Material resources alone would not bring about proper development of a country unless the people especially the younger generation were rich in moral and spiritual values.

A disciplined human resource is the secret behind the development and success of any country and the programme to achieve this must start from the school, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He said so when he opened the Dandina Samarasinghe Memorial Shilpa Medura at the Gunaratana Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Palatuwa, Matara to commemorate his late mother on Thursday. The three storied building which cost Rs 3 million is complete with a meeting hall and six classrooms.

The President said, “We have brought the resources, hitherto restricted to Colombo and the Western Province, into the village now. Today schools and infrastructure in the villages are well developed and it is up to all of you to make maximum use of them for your progress and welfare.”

The President added that only about five percent of students sitting the GCE Advanced Level examination qualified for university entrance and requested Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to ensure that proper vocational education facilities are provided to the balance students to enable them to gain employment with reasonable salaries.

He also called for the urgent implementation of plans formulated to solve the shortage of teachers in the schools sector.

The secret behind the success of any school depended on the availability of a competent and dedicated teaching staff. The President believed that the success gained by the Gunaratana MMV was largely due to the competent staff led by the Principal who worked tirelessly to cater to the welfare of students.

He added we should not blame students for attending tuition classes. If competent teachers are provided and subjects like mathematics, science and English were properly taught in schools there won’t be a need for students to attend tuition classes.

The President also distributed a stock of kitchen utensils among a group of 36 homeless families for whom 36 new houses have been built in the Palatuwa area.