The President has focused on the possibility of giving value to the Dharmacharya Certificate in recruitment to universities and jobs.
The future plans of the State Ministry of Dhamma Schools, Bhikku Education, Pirivenas and Buddhist Universities were discussed at length at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday, September 24, the Presidential Media Unit said.
President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said that a spiritual and religious generation should be gifted to the future along with the physical development of a country.
He further stated that Sri Lanka has become a country rich in virtues due to the religious coexistence taught by other religions with Buddhism at the forefront.
The President emphasized that the State Ministry should fully intervene to address and regulate the shortcomings of registered Dhamma Schools of all religions in order to promote true Dhamma education free of extremism in the Sri Lankan society that has lived in peace and harmony for a long time.
Attention was also drawn to the need for revision of Pirivena and Sunday school text books and the appointment of former Pirivena teachers to the Pirivenas where they had served if they had obtained graduate employment appointments this time.
The President instructed the officials to submit plans and proposals to improve the English, computer and technical knowledge of the monks and to resolve the issues of appointments, salaries and allowances of Pirivena teachers, the Presidential Media Unit further said.
Representing the field of Pirivena and Bhikku education, the Maha Sangha and Minister Prof. GL Peiris. Peiris, Minister of State Vijitha Berugoda, Basil Rajapaksa, Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revitalization, Secretary to the President PB Jayasundera and secretaries and officials of the Cabinet and State Ministries have joined the discussion.