Sri Lanka: public servants encouraged to learn two main national languages

[Harold F. Schiffman]

 Sinhala, Tamil knowledge to public servants
Shirley Wijesinghe

COLOMBO: Public servants will be given the opportunity to learn the two
main national languages by the Public Administration and Home Affairs
Ministry and funds will be allocated if required, Ministry sources said.
The sources said Minister Karu Jayasuriya has taken a decision to
encourage Sinhala public servants to learn Tamil and the Tamil public
servants to learn Sinhala.

The Ministry has decided to move with the project to encourage public
servants to learn the two main languages based on a report prepared after
extensive study by the Foundation for Existence (FFE) presented its report
to Jayasuriya recently, Ministry sources added. The Survey on the Official
Language Policy was formulated by the committee comprising Bradman
Weerakoon, Prof. S. Sandrasekeran and S. Balakrishnan. They revealed
survey that language was not only a way of communication but also a power
source of giving knowledge.

It also revealed that most Tamils were reluctant to be employed in the
administration field in the public sector due to their poor proficiency in
Sinhala.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/03/19/news41.asp

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