The education ministry has taken measures to ensure all school children have access to clean drinking water and hygienic facilities at schools, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana said.

Addressing the first meeting of the programme yesterday at the ministry, Minister Gunawardana said 250 schools had been selected from the Uva, Central and Eastern provinces for the programme at a cost of Rs. 330 million.

“It has become a serious social and health issue when there were no adequate drinking water facilities and toilet facilities for school chilIt has become a serious sodren. This cial and health issue when is very there were no adequate grave in the drinking water facilities Uva, Cenand toilet facilities for tral and school children. This is Eastern very grave in the Uva, Cenprovinces. tral and Eastern provinces. There are There are many channels many chanto assist urban schools to nels to asresolve these problems insist urban cluding old student schools to associations, resolve school developthese probment societies and lems includphilanthropists. ing old student associations, school deBandula Gunawardana velopment societies and philanthropists. But the case is different in remote areas and therefore we have decided to draw our attention to the Uva, Central and Eastern provinces,” Minister Gunawardana emphasized.

Minister Gunawardana said Rs. 750,000 would be allocated to provide drinking water and toilet facilities for a school.

He added that 1,000 schools islandwide had been selected to be developed as secondary schools with all facilities in order to minimize the pressure on so called popular schools in urban areas and another 5,000 schools to be developed as ‘Lama Mithuru’ or Children Friendly schools to discourage the demand for privileged schools at Grade five and below.

“The main focus of the new education system will be to produce a student who is capable of successfully confronting challenges in life,” Minister Gunawardana stressed.the programme was funded with the financial assistance of the UNICEF and AUSAID.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka