TECHNICAL - NEW A/L SUBJECT STREAM

What is the 'Technology' subject that lessens A/L Arts students?

     A new subject stream by the name of Technology has been introduced from yesterday to students who have so far followed A/L Maths and Bio-Science under the Arts and Commerce stream. By now it has been introduced and is taught in about 200 schools. It is expected to be spread islandwide and even university courses are to commence. The Minister says that he believes this new introduction, it would be possible to bring down the number of Arts students in large numbers.

     There is the opportunity of studying 2 more subjects in association with the 10 subjects that A/L Arts and Commerce students study at present. As such, they are in a position to select 1 subject from subjects such as Economics, Geography, Home Economics, Logic and Scientific Methodology, Communication and Media Education, Information Technology, Business Studies, Agricultural Studies and Painting.

     Of the other 2 subjects from which the students can select, one is compulsory. That compulsory subject is the Science of Technology. Under that subject, Chemistry, Physical Bio-Science and Principles of Mathematics are taught.

     Students are allowed to select 1 category from the 2 categories of the third subject which the students are entitled to. One is Engineering Technology while the other is Bio-Foundation Technology.

    Those who choose Engineering Technology will be given a training  in the scientific principles of Civil.Mechanical and Electronic Technology while those who select Bio-Foundation Technology will be given a training in the Technology of Food, 'Pas Aswanu', Agriculture and Bio-resources. This Technological subject stream will be begun in 200 schools belonging to the Bi-lingual School Development Project and it is planned to introduce it to 100 schools next year.

    Initially about 10,000 students would be joining this course of studies. It is reported that the National Educational Institute is ready to expand the training to teachers relevant to this new subject stream. Arrangements have been made to pay an allowance of Rs.10,000 in addition to their salary to teachers affiliated to the Technical colleges and Vocational Training institutions for teaching this Technological subject stream.

    Minister Bandula Gunawardene had this to say about this new introduction:
                                                                                                                                "Even if one studies Arts subjects ..... there are jobs to give. There are no educated people for the jobs available. What happened in such instances was only violence. For about two or three decades our history was bathed in blood ..... society became a crowd who couldn't smile in society. Their life was, pulp, walls, posters. Teachers and monks were murdered by being enveloped with revenge ..... and they too died. We inherited a history of those who took weapons into their hands and die by their own weapons".

     As a result of introducing this new subject stream, it is expected to reduce students who followed the Arts stream from 51% to 21% and it is also expected that in future, there will be a reduction of students following the subject of Technology by 40%.