Computer Education in Jaffna Receives Another Fillip

AS PART OF its community-oriented welfare projects in the Jaffna peninsula, Army troops, following directives given by Commander, Security Forces Jaffna Major General G.A. Chandrasiri took steps to distribute fifty brand new computers among students of fifty schools in the peninsula at a special ceremony held in Telippalai Union College on Monday (7).

The computers were a combined gift to the Army for distribution among students from Nestle Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Sri Lanka Rebuild Organization. The ceremony for distribution was attended by Nestle Managing Director Mr Steuart Young, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, Additional District Directors of Education Mr V.T. Selvarathnam, six zonal Directors of Education in Jaffna, Principals, tutorial staff, a section of students and several senior Army officers. Nestle Lanka donated forty of the computers and the rest was offered by Sri Lanka Rebuild Organization, as a result of an initiative taken by the Army in Jaffna.

Jaffna Commander Major General G.A. Chandrasiri in his brief address to the occasion reminded that the Security Forces were doing their utmost to bring peace and harmony to this country. “This occasion is another gesture of goodwill extended by the Security Forces to uplift educational standards of the students in Jaffna peninsula. I hope the students will make maximum use of these computers and handle them with care for their educational programmes,” he said.

Last year, the Army gave away twenty-one computers to twenty-one schools that produced the best results in the GCE (A/L) examination in 2007. “As you may remember, we presented one computer to the student who scored the highest in the scholarship examination in 2007. We are very thankful for our sponsors who responded to our request and they donated all those computers with complete accessories,” Major General Chandrasiri noted.

Jaffna Zone Director of Education Mr T. Arunagiriraja acknowledging the donation praised the Army and highlighted the important impact the donation would give to the students. Two recipients of the computers from two schools also extended their gratitude to the Army and outlined the benefits they would receive as a result in order to enter the competitive educational market.