‘Presidential Scholarships’ Programme aims to assist needy students – State Minister

Education State Minister Arvindh Kumar emphasised the importance of the ‘Presidential Scholarship’ programme proposed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He highlighted that this initiative, geared towards supporting one hundred thousand students during the 2024/2025 academic year, holds immense potential to provide crucial assistance to economically disadvantaged students.

The State Minister expressed confidence that this programme would play a pivotal role in facilitating the successful completion of education for these students.

He emphasised plans to establish 20 Zonal Education Offices as part of ongoing education reforms. These offices are envisioned to play a pivotal role in implementing future educational initiatives and ensuring the efficient administration of educational policies.

These sentiments were shared by Education State Minister during the media briefing at the PMC on Friday (8), held under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country.’

State Minister Kumar said: “The ‘Presidential Scholarship’ programme proposed for 2024/2025 is a commendable initiative aimed at providing crucial support to economically disadvantaged schoolchildren to ensure the successful completion of their education.

“Spearheaded by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, this programme underscores our Government’s commitment to addressing the economic challenges facing families and safeguarding children’s educational opportunities.

“We firmly believe that financial constraints should not hinder talented students from pursuing their education. Therefore, this scholarship programme seeks to alleviate financial burdens and enable deserving students to continue their academic pursuits.

“In addition to addressing financial barriers, the Government is dedicated to implementing comprehensive education reforms. One significant reform entails advancing the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level exam to Grade 12, preceding Grade 13, and advancing the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level exam, currently held in Grade 11, to Grade 10. This strategic move aims to expedite university entrance for students, enabling them to enter the workforce at a younger age upon graduation.

“We are poised to introduce a ‘Pre-Grade’ programme before Grade One, recognising the cognitive abilities of today’s children and their rapid learning potential. As part of enhancing the education sector, we plan to increase the number of zonal education offices from around 100 to 120, facilitating better governance and oversight.

“To further elevate the quality of school education, we intend to implement a cluster education system by amalgamating multiple schools. Additionally, recruitment drives will be initiated to fill teacher and principal vacancies, ensuring adequate staffing and effective administration in schools.

These comprehensive reforms underscore our unwavering commitment to nurturing a robust education system that empowers every child to realise their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society.”

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