IOM and EC creating better learning environments for students

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Commission (EC) opened the ground floor of a new building at the Good Shepherd Tamil Girls Vidyalayam in Kotahena recently.

The school which provides education for over 1000 students, many of whom are either children of voluntary returnees from abroad or displaced due to the tsunami and the conflict, lacked adequate space to conduct classes. Hence, for over two decades the school has been functioning in two sessions.

Sister Marie Euphrasia, the Principal of the school speaking at the opening said, “As the school conducted classes in two sessions the time duration of the sessions was not sufficient to fulfill the educational needs of our students. Moreover, the primary school students had to sacrifice their play time to attend school and also due to unsuitable hours, they could not fully concentrate on their studies”.

Since 2006, IOM has completed a number of community projects under the EC-funded “Enhanced Capacity Building in Migration Management to Support Effective Return and Sustainable Reintegration of Returnees to Sri Lanka” to develop social infrastructure which will enhance educational facilities of a wider community, including the children of voluntary returnees from abroad and their host communities.