Lifeline Daily Radio Show #147 (11 August 2009)
Vanni IDP students in Manik Farm Welfare camp
IDP students in Vavuniya began their A Level exams today with papers in Biology and Commerce while the Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union lobbies the Education minister about the future of its members and the youngsters they teach in IDP camps. The government’s psychosocial scheme within the zones has started its third phase with 1,000 teachers and selected students receiving training and the process of obtaining legal documents has begun for 3,000 IDPs in Vavuniya thanks to a mobile government service.
- Advance Level exams start for IDP students
- 3,000 apply for legal documents under government scheme
- Teachers’ union talks to minister about the future of its members in Vavuniya
- Phase 3 of psychosocial program training teachers and young people
Advance Level exams start for IDP students
The Zonal Education department completed all the tasks required for students to face the exams which began today with Biology and Commerce papers.
Students who are coming from other camps are requested to be ready around 7am and arrangements have been made to provide breakfast and lunch for them. They have also been given pens and pencils.
The main exam centers are Kathitkamaa, Ramanathan, Arunchalam, Ananthakumarswamy, Zone 4, Veerapuram training college, Pampaimadu camp hostel and Gamini Mahavidyalayam says Ranjani Oswald, Zonal Educational Director of Vavuniya. Two centers have also been provided for surendee students.
Students from Nellukulam, Puthukulam, Aliqbal and Thandikulam will be brought by bus to the College of Education examination center while those from Sumathipuram and Maruthamadu will be taken to Veerapuram examination center.
The authorities are also making the necessary arrangements to transfer the people of Nellukulam, Puthukulam, Aliqbal,and Thandikulam to Maruthamadu welfare center in the next few days.
The zonal director said if Advance Level students are included in the transfer, arrangements will be made for then at the Veerapuram exam center.
3,000 apply for legal documents under government scheme
Under the Vadakkin Vasantham 180 day program, the government has started to provide legal documents to the IDPs in Vavuniya’s Kathirgamar relief village. The first phase, a mobile branch office of the Registrar General Department, has been established and government workers from among the IDPs in the welfare camps are working there. M.S.Wickramasinghe, Secretary of the Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Ministry, said: “Initially 3,000 people have applied to obtain legal documents. We will deal with them first and then consider the second phase. Money donated by the UN Development Program has been spent on photographs and stamps. If anyone has lost their national identity card, they need to record it with the police to apply for a new one. They have to record the loss in a letter and submit it with the application for a National Identity card. A special group will investigate those applications before providing the applicants with new National Identity cards.”
Teachers’ Union talks to minister about future of its members in IDP camps
Advance Level exams start for IDP students
The Zonal Education department completed all the tasks required for students to face the exams which began today with Biology and Commerce papers.
Students who coming from other camps are requested to be ready around 7am and arrangements have been made to provide breakfast and lunch for them. They have also been given pens, pencils and coloured pens.
The main exam centers are Kathitkamaa, Ramanathan, Arunchalam, Ananthakumarswamy, Zone 4, Veerapuram training college, Pampaimadu camp hostel and Gamini Mahavidyalayam are the main says Ranjani Oswald, Zonal Educational Director of Vavuniya. Two centers have also been provided for surendee students.
Students from Nellukulam, Puthukulam, Aliqbal and Thandikulam will be brought by bus to the College of Education examination center while those from Sumathipuram and Maruthamadu will be taken to Veerapuram examination center.
The authorities are also making the necessary arrangements to transfer the people of Nellukulam, Puthukulam, Aliqbal,and Thandikulam to Maruthamadu welfare center in the next few days.
The zonal director said if Advance Level students are included in the transfer, arrangements will be made for then at the Veerapuram exam center.
3,000 apply for legal documents under government scheme
Under the Vadakkin Vasantham 180 day program, the government has started to provide legal documents to the IDPs in Vavuniya’s Kathirgamar relief village. The first phase, a mobile branch office of the Registrar General Department, has been established and government workers from among the IDPs in the welfare camps are working there. M.S.Wickramasinghe, Secretary of the Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Ministry, said that a number people have applied to get legal documents during the recent mobile service. “This is an initial process. We did not wait for all the information before starting, we just began under the instruction of the Vavuniya District GA. Initially 3,000 people have applied to obtain legal documents. We will deal with them first and then consider the second phase. Money donated by the UN Development Program has been spent on photographs and stamps. If anyone has lost their national identity card, they need to record it with the police to apply for a new one. They have to record the loss in a letter and submit it with the application for a National Identity card. A special group will investigate those applications before providing the applicants with new National Identity cards.”
Teachers’ Union talks to minister about future of its members in IDP camps
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union (CTTU) submitted a report to the Sri Lankan minister of Education, Hon Susil Prema Jeyanth, expressing its concerns about teachers and pupils currently living in IDP camps in the Vanni region.
Secretary of the CTTU, Mr.T. Mahasivam said: “Life in the refugee camps is hard and our members trapped there still have to live through the traumas they had experienced from the violence”
He added that the minister Susil Premajyantha was very interested in their concerns and promised to do what was needed as soon as possible to respond.
Phase 3 of psychosocial program training teachers and young people
Assistant Director of the Psychosocial Program Mr. M.J.M. Saneer explains: “The psychosocial program which started earlier is still being conducted inside the Vavuniya camps. There are 100 teachers working there, throughout all zones with around 1,000 teachers receiving psychosocial training. Every teacher is getting 15 days training and selected students are being brought together for three day skill development programs. Apart from this, we are also providing career development training for the young IDPs living in Gamini Mahavidyalaya.”
