Educational
Exposure for O/L students from Karukupane
The exposure organised was timely as the
students prepare themselves to sit for the O/L exams in the month of December
2018. The students went to Jaffna on 24th and 25th of
October 2018. As the students approach exams the tension mounts and most of
them without dealing with stress find a mechanism to escape. There were 18
students from both Karukupane Tamil and Sinhala schools.
Objective
Observe,
understand and learn the various skills needed to face the exams, Stress and
anxiety management and the coping mechanism,Enhance the knowledge, skills and
techniques needed in answering the exam papers , Learn new skills to
support the efforts from the students who potentially would score the best
results in Jaffna, Create an atmosphere in order
to cultivate future programmes and reconciliation.
The
program was designed in resonance with the objectives of the visit. During the
2day program, the participants have visited various historical places that they
have studied about in their history lessons and the schools that are known for
their excellence. The students also interacted with the students who would
secure the best results in their respective schools and in the district. The
first day the students were given an hour of talk on motivation and goal and
value-oriented life by Fr. Dilan Perera a Jesuit. The
rest of the day was spent on visiting the historical places students were
amazed to find the historical evidence of the Fort in Jaffna the history of
which spans a few centuries[1]
and the Nalur temple. Before the students retired for the night evaluation for
the day was organised in order to enhance the lessons learnt and to answer
their queries. The second day was very significant, and all the students looked
forward to it. It was organised that the female students would visit Holy
Family Convent, Jaffna and the male students would visit St. Patrick’s College,
Jaffna. Both the schools are well known for their excellence and performance in
education in Jaffna district. The students were welcomed warmly and were
introduced to objective of the day. The students followed different methods to
get themselves engaged in learning from their colleagues how their counterparts
in Jaffna learn and study efficiently thus preparing for the exam. They were
impressed how the students are prepared to face the exam with confidence
presuming that they would get the questions that they have prepared. The second
half of the first session was to place the students in small groups in order to
make the interaction lively. Mr.
Stanislaus who had been in teaching career for 32 years insisted that their
study methodology should give them self-confidence to face the exam. He also
insisted to invoke the blessing of the Lord before any activity that the
students get engaged in especially the exams. They students were introduced to
various techniques to write the exam expecting the results The students at the
end of the programme felt amazing about the exposure they had and felt good
about having invested time and energy. All the students expressed that it’s
their first visit to Jaffna and meeting with the students have deconstructed
the prejudice that they had. They also felt they were treated well by the
students and these exposures could be of some help in building relationships
across ethnicity. They also expressed the fear they had with regard to Tamil –
Sinhala divide but at the end of the programme they genuinely spelled out that
there was no language or ethnic difference expressed. Apart from the objectives
of the exposure they students also articulated that these programmes or similar
programmes can foster ethnic harmony and reconciliation. 
Kottapitiya Community
