The Education Ministry has decided to provide fiber optic connections and adequate electricity facilities to selected schools in order to enhance communication facilities, Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

While participating in a diploma awarding ceremony at the Sri Lanka German Training Institute (SLGTI), he said that not only in terms of tertiary education, but also through the school system, a group of skilled youth should be gifted to the country.

Towards this, new teaching methods that are compatible with subjects such as artificial intelligence (AI) combined with information and communication technology should be rapidly moved towards a comprehensive change with updated knowledge and teacher training opportunities.

The Minister further said that by providing these facilities, steps will be taken to bring about a professional-oriented transformative change in the schools system as well as in university education.

The students are expected to have the opportunity to study a professional course of their choice within the school itself in the future, three months after sitting for the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination and waiting for the results to study for the Advanced Level (A/L).

The minister further mentioned that students can get some literacy for their future professional lives, whether they study at an Advanced Level or not.

The time spent on the professional training courses, which are basically taken at the school, can also be used to reduce the time spent on following courses from the centrrs established all over the island so that training can be provided to meet the demand for trained labour abroad, the Minister said. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)