17 October 2006, Colombo - The Norwegian Refugee Council officially handed over two other new schools; Al-Irfan Vidyalayam, Trincomalee and Pulavarmani Shareefudeen Vidyalayam, Kalmunai to Sri Lankan school authorities last week.
NRC has now handed over five schools out of the 30 it has agreed to build in Sri Lanka in a Rs. 450 million project to replace those destroyed nearly two years ago by the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. Reconstruction is ongoing for the other remaining schools and 10 more will be handed over before the end of 2006.
The programme which is on track to be completed in early 2007, addresses needs for immediate repairs, reconstruction of damaged buildings and construction of new buildings with modern education facilities within existing school compounds or on new land identified by the Sri Lankan authorities. The master plans of the schools appear well poised to create a child friendly learning environment where interactive teaching and child participation help children fully develop their potential.
The basic design in Al-Irfan Vidyalayam incorporates 18 spacious classrooms, a laboratory and a library, landscaped outdoor teaching area and a playground. In Pulavarmani Shareefudeen Vidyalayam NRC constructed 14 classrooms, a staff room, Home Science and Agriculture Unit, safe parapet wall around the school and landscaped outdoor play area. Each school received safe drinking water, separate toilets for boys and girls, fully furnished assembly hall and furniture and equipment.
NRC Country Director in Sri Lanka Joern Kristensen said that nothing will signal hope more clearly than rebuilding and reopening schools as education for children is the foundation of a peaceful, stable society. "Our goal is not just to improve the school infrastructure. We will rebuild schools and also be involved in the training of teachers, to help them support children traumatized by disaster." The teachers at the 30 schools have participated in NRC's psychosocial training programme to be better equipped to support children traumatized by disaster.
NRC's School Reconstruction Programme that benefits over 13,500 children and teachers from the 30 schools in the six districts of Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Mullaitivu was primarily funded by the Government of Norway in a bid to assist the post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
