<p class="A_Strap">National language policy: </p>
<h2>President wants total implementation </h2>
<p class="A_byline">Chamikara WEERASINGHE </p>
<p>Language policymakers and institutional leaders at state level are
rapidly taking measures to elevate the status of bilingualism at public
institutions, sequel to a call by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure
100 percent implementation of the country’s national language policy.
</p>
<p>President Rajapaksa had reportedly told officials involved in the
implementation of the national language policy, that all Sri Lankans
should be able to receive services from government departments and
institutions in the official language of their choice. </p>
<p>The President emphasized that both Tamil and Sinhala speaking public
should have equal status of language of work and respect within the
public service,and steps must be taken to position services in both
official languages, sources at National Language and Social Integration
Ministry told the Daily News yesterday. </p>
<p>President Rajapaksa said that neither Tamil-speaking Sri Lankans nor
Sinhala-speaking Tamils are to be discriminated against on language
grounds within the public service. </p>
<p>Sources said, they have expanded their language training programmes
throughout the island to train public servants in bilingualism. Our aim is to get at least one qualified person who can speak in
Tamil in every hospital, government department, agrarian centre,
pradeshiya sabha, divisional secretariat and fisheries department
throughout the island,” a ministry official said. </p>
<p>President Rajapaksa had said that bilingual facilities should not be
restricted to Northern and Eastern Provinces and the services should be
available throughout the country, he said.Meanwhile, the ministry recently started a dialogue with the
Education ministry to increase the number of periods they teach Tamil
language in schools. </p>
<p>“We have also requested the Inspector General of Police, to get
police officers who can speak Tamil, to be deployed in areas where Tamil
speaking public are found in large numbers,” the official said. </p>
<p>Inspector General of Police K P M Illangakoon had responded
positively, he said. </p>
<p>”We have started forming language associations at village levels. The
ministry will send personnel to teach English or Tamil languages to
these associations at their request. For this they must register with
the ministry first,” he said. </p>
<p>”The ministry has about 750 teachers, of them 600 are Sinhalese who
can teach Tamil and 150 are Tamil teachers who can teach Sinhala. Moves
are under way to train more language teachers to promote bilingual
education,” he added. <br></p><p><a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/12/15/news04.asp">http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/12/15/news04.asp</a><br></p><p><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>**************************************<br>
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