By Lakna Paranamanna

An interactive programme comprising teaching methods using digital content, www.skoool.lk, was officially launched at the Education Ministry yesterday, in collaboration with Intel Corp., under the banner of Education for Knowledge Society Project (EKSP).

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena who was the Chief Guest at the occasion said, “Integrating English and ICT into the academic activities is an essential factor in our quest to enhance education in this country. Skoool.lk, the website launched today, provides the necessary tools and resources, which would effectively help upgrade teaching methods as well as learning skills of our future generations.”

Speaking further Minister Gunawardena said that under the EKSP programme launched by the government, computer literacy had increased by 23% in the last five years.

“Under the EKSP project our aim is to increase the computer literacy of the country which was only 5% four years ago, up to 60%. As a result of the various programmes launched under the EKSP project such as SchoolNet, the computer and IT literacy of school children has increased up to 80%,” said Education Ministry Additional Secretary and EKSP Project Director Anura Dissanayake.

Apart from providing their collaboration to the Skoool.lk website, Intel has also contributed to the EKSP project through a mobile bus as well as a training program for teachers in ICT amounting to more than Rs. 1 million. Education Ministry Secretary Sunil S. Sirisena who also spoke at the event said that they plan to supply the total computer requirement of 5000 schools countrywide by the end of this year. “Additionally 8,000 teachers have been trained by Intel to teach ICT around the country while another group of 10,000 teachers are to be trained to overcome the shortage of ICT teachers in schools,” he added.

Skoool.lk currently provides interactive digital media content for students of Grade 6-11 in Mathematics and Science and Technology as well as A/L students in Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry in the English medium.