English & Computer for Sri Lanka's Growth
February 14, 2009
2009 is Sri Lanka’s Year of English and IT.
"It promises to be the year in which all our people, - irrespective of caste, race, locality, language or religion, - begin to march together, as the sons and daughters of Mother Lanka towards a common goal of development and prosperity," the President of Sri Lanka said.
The "Year of English & IT" is launched as a major initiative of the Government to help Sri Lanka meet the demands of the 21st Century in skills and capacities, making the availability as a Life Skill for the rural sector.
In the ‘Mahinda Chintana’, my election manifesto, which received the endorsement of the people, we recognized the importance of rapidly creating a knowledge society in Sri Lanka. To make the idea of the global village, more meaningful to our people, we stressed the importance of linking the villages and townships in all the provinces and districts of our country with the outside world of knowledge. And to achieve this objective, the ‘Mahinda Chintana’ lays emphasis on the unmistakable need to urgently equip the people, especially the youth, with proficiency in the English language on the one side and to provide them with access to computers and internet facilities, through the rapid development of use of information technology, on the other.
English and IT shall therefore be used by our government as instruments of rural empowerment; as powerful tools that could make the villages of our country a meaningful part of the global village.
The Presidential Task Force on English and IT has adopted several radical measures to transform English teaching method and curriculum in our schools to make the language user-friendly and less elitist. Thus, English will progressively be perceived and delivered to the children, no more as a ‘subject’ but as a ‘tool of communication’, for speaking and for seeking knowledge and employment.
Our country is greatly inspired by the dramatic success of India in the fields of IT and English in recent years. It is for this reason that we have turned to India in addition to other countries for technical support to strengthen our own endeavours. We are honoured by the presence today of Mr. Narayana Murthy, the ‘Father of IT in India’ and the Chairman and Mentor of the world famous ‘Infosys’. His Special Address has given us a very interesting perspective on empowering rural people with knowledge in IT. We are confident that his association with our national initiative, which starts today will certainly continue into the future. We are equally honoured by the presence of Professor Abhai Maurya, the Vice Chancellor of the English and Foreign Languages University of Hyderabad, India’s Centre of Excellence for the Teaching of English. He has already launched the process of re-training of our teachers in the delivery of ‘Spoken English’ to our schools with the generous assistance of the Indian government.
English, on the other hand, will be our language to reach out to the world and access the global pool of knowledge and technology. As the national initiative on English gathers momentum and achieves desired results, I visualize, in fact, a tri-lingual Sri Lankan society in the long run.
Therefore, the Presidential Task Force on English and IT will ensure that the national initiative should be designed in such a way that English is delivered purely as a ‘Life Skill’ that is desired for its utility value, as a vital tool of communication with the outside world of knowledge, and a skill that is required for employment. We will ensure that there will be a complete break with the past, where in our country English was rolled out as a vehicle for creating disaffection towards our national cultures, national ethos and national identity, for alienating our people from their roots and for creating social and cultural divisions among them.
Marking the beginning of 2009 as a point of reference, the national initiative on English and IT will expand under my direction through a diversity of programs and activities. Facilitated by the Presidential Task Force on English and IT, I call for this important national initiative the unstinting support and cooperation of all government ministries and agencies both central and provincial, the private business sector, which has most to gain from its success and civil society organizations interested in the development of the country. I am confident that this national initiative will also draw the generous support of the international community.
That was the message from the President of Sri Lanka. It is a positive development. This shifts the world focus away from those jungle of Mullaitivu. This English & Computer initiative will earn the respect and the full support from the International Community. Certainly this initiative will make Sri Lanka a friendly nation.
It is no point in projecting Sri Lanka as a Super Power in Military. It will be good for Sri Lanka and for the world, if Sri Lanka emerges as Super Power in English Language and in Computers. You do have all the resources and skill sets.
In fact, the world really appreciates your software skill, by looking at your Military portal and Battle Progress Map. Of course, no one appreciated the military achievements.
What those Politicians of India failed to achieve, the Real Leader with true Leadership Quality, Narayana Murthy will achieve it.
Let the new war begin on Innovation, Economic Development and Creativity.
Peace never exists on Planet Earth.
February 18, 2009
In a letter to the President of Sri Lanka, Mr Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor and Chairman of the Board, Infosys Technologies, communicated to the Lankan President President Mahinda Rajapaksa. that he has decided to withdraw from being the advisor due to personal reasons.
A statement from the company on Wednesday said that Mr Murthy, however, thanked the Lankan Presdent for the invitation to be the IT advisor for his government and for the courtesy shown to him during his recent visit to Sri Lanka. But the withdrawal was for personal reasons.
Ironically, last week, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary, Palitha Kohona said that: "N.R. Narayana Murthy was appointed as the international adviser to the Sri Lankan President and he has accepted it."
Mr. President, its time to win back the credibility of the global community for Sri Lanka's growth. Take some positive action. Military is headache. Promote English and Computer initiatives, right now. That will make your country, a developed nation by 2015.