• Comm. appointed to review curriculum 

The Government is gearing up to expand the participation of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) with a new training centre established in Mullaitivu. It is learnt that the new centre, the second for the NCC, will function in parallel to the long-standing centre in Rantambe.

Responding to a query by The Daily Morning, the State Minister for Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon acknowledged the move, adding that there has been considerable interest from schools in the North and the East to induct the volunteer youth training system. He added that the Government was happy with two Muslim girls’ schools taking up cadetting. The new centre in Mullaitivu will see cadets from all over the island learn together, where there will be no segregation, with students from all walks of life and from different communities, where they will have to work together.

“We believe that this will help build trust between communities and between them and the armed forces,” he opined.

When questioned about improving the existing NCC architecture, State Minister Tennakoon said; “We have appointed a committee to review the NCC curriculum. We want it modernised, to be more practical, to aid capacity building of their personalities, and to improve the leadership qualities of the youth. We plan to introduce linguistics – English language proficiencies and to equip the young cadets with skill sets which will help them to be more employable”

The Government had also removed the legacy olive green colour pattern from the NCC uniform and replaced it with the colour beige.