Tangalle Children - Lab & Library project

Project Proposal VISIT THE OPENING CEREMONY For high school students at Tangalle - Sri Lanka. – Science- Computer – Internet – TANGALLE CHILDREN RELAY No 280, TISSA ROAD TANGALLE – SRI LANKA
BACK GROUND AND THE PROBLEM With the globalization, thirst of knowledge in IT, Business and Science has become an important role for the new generation. The old system of teachers to students is changing. Self study has become an important tool for the new generation of students to gain the information of these fields. In many of the developed countries where the new techniques are discovered, the information is published worldwide via the Internet, Books and Magazines. Students in wealthier and more developed countries have access to the sources which are necessary to compete with the entire world; therefore, they succeed and go further than those with little to no access to technology.
When it comes to countries like Sri Lanka, which is struggling to develop, the access to the world through communication is limited by several reasons. One reason is the terrorist activities, which have had a tremendous impact for the past three decades.
Another reason is because even though Sri Lanka is a small the third-world Island, the sources are not evenly distributed amongst its people.

The gap between rich and poor is very great. While there are several people enjoying the technological facilities in many urban areas, the students of poor village farmers also have to compete the same exam with fewer facilities. Therefore a village student to become a doctor, Engineer or IT technician is a rare occurrence.
THE VILLAGE KIDS EXPECTING A BETTER EDUCATION & FUTURE
In Sri Lanka, the majority do not rely on the free school education provided in general schools. The open economy, which introduced in 1978, enabled the commercial education system in Sri Lanka.

Then onward, the students were gradually made to attend private lessons that required a large monthly fee. The schoolteachers, who wanted to make business, motivated their students to attend their lessons by promising them a better result. At the beginning only the rich people attended these lessons. But with the increase of the competition, the poorer or remotely living students had to get paying lessons, if they wanted to fight for the realization of their dreams.

At the moment almost every student from every village has to attend paying lessons. The two years that it takes that to cover a vast syllabus in three different subjects is not a simple task. Many students only attend the schools for the first year (08 months) and then fully engaged in paying lessons that they and their parents believe will yield a better result. Can you believe that most of important chemical and physical practical included the high school syllabus are done on a white board with a piece of chalk. For example one of these private lessons contains 1500 to 2000 students packed in a hall. The lecturers are using audio instruments to deliver their lessons to 2000 students at a time.
TANGALLE CHILDREN RELAY BOUGHT SOME ESSENTIAL BOOKS FOR THE STUDENTS. SOME HOPES ARE CREATED IN THEIR FACE.
These paying lessons are delivered 7 days per week or so. The students are working full time and often go to bed as late as 2.00 am. They are sleeping 3 to 4 hours a night, which is creating a great deal of depression and tension. It is well known that the library and a laboratory are the most important parts of high school education. However, most of the students in Sri Lanka have to stick to lecture notes given by their tuition masters. Even though there is a laboratory and library in high schools (with least or limited facilities) the students do not get a chance to use them. In general, schools are held 180 days a year from 7.30 am until 1.30 pm. During this limited time in school, students must attend their daily lessons, library and laboratory.
HERE IS A PICTURE OF VILLAGE LIBRARY WITH MODERN FACILITIES THAT PROVIDED BY FOREIGN SECTOR. (This is the dream of TCR to implement in Tangalle) http://mahavilachchiya.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/providing-training-in-computer-skills-to-rural-youth-in-sri-lanka/
Tangalle Children Relay has studied by general research the need of a public library and laboratory for such high school students at Tangalle. This is the only option that we can offer students to gain the knowledge that they need to compete with the higher-income schools in Colombo and other urban cities which have more access to advance means of study and education. This access also improve their chance to enter the university. Tangalle is located in southern Sri Lanka. It is the main town for a large region and it has now become the center for high school studies for many students. There are currently only two high schools for girls and boys, which has made the paying tuitions more popular. There are thousands of student traveling daily to Tangalle attend these paying lessons. Most students have to find a place to stay as the distance and transport is a problem for many. Taking all of this into consideration, Tangalle Children Relay has opened a youth hostel for 16 village students (female) to facilitate them with food and accommodation free of charge. Those were carefully selected from financially difficult.
Library						Laboratory
Space - both projects						Computer set
Computer set						Lab instruments
Telephone set - for both projects						Shelves
Internet access - for both projects						Practicle table
Books (for Four Subjects)						Chairs
Book shelves						Ceiling fans
Reading tables						Lights

Please find the projected average budget for each project here.

VISIT THE OPENING CEREMONY