Official Opening of the Upgraded Premises of Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre - Ministry of Education press release (2 Aug 2001)

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EDUN N25-02-004

04301

2 Aug 2001

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE UPGRADED PREMISES OF UMAR PULAVAR TAMIL LANGUAGE CENTRE

1. The teaching and learning of Tamil Language in schools has been given a boost with the newly upgraded Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre (UPTLC). With the improved facilities and additional resources costing more than $2 million, UPTLC will assume the new role of serving as a national Tamil Language resource centre for the teaching and learning of Tamil Language. In addition, the Centre will organise a range of enrichment and cultural activities accessible to students of all secondary schools.

2. UPTLC is one of the TL centres providing TL instruction outside curriculum time to students from secondary schools which do not offer the Tamil Language. At present a total of 437 students from various secondary schools study Tamil Language at different levels at the Centre.

3. The upgrading exercise focused on improving the facilities at the Centre and providing it with up-to-date equipment and additional resources for a more effective teaching and learning of Tamil Language. It also includes the general upgrading of the physical aspect of the building and its environment to create a more conducive learning environment for the students. The major upgrading works at the Centre include the following:

converting the existing library into a Media Resource Library;
equipping 6 of the classrooms with IT facilities and Internet access;
setting up a fully-equipped computer laboratory;
converting existing two large rooms into seminar rooms with a capacity of 200 participants;
setting up a Music Room and a Dance Studio.

4. With its conversion into a national TL resource centre, the Centre will open its doors to teachers and students of all secondary schools to use its facilities and other resources for the teaching and learning of Tamil Language. The Centre will also organise various enrichment programmes and cultural activities for its pupils as well as for TL pupils of other schools. These include Indian cultural dances, Indian orchestra, drama, debates, literary camps etc.

5. In 1998, a Tamil Language Review Committee was set up by the Ministry of Education to review the teaching of Tamil Language in schools. The review was completed and the recommendations were announced in Feb 2000. The Ministry has implemented the recommendations as scheduled. One of the important recommendations was to upgrade the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre into a "national Tamil Language resource centre" to support the teaching and learning of Tamil Language in schools.

6. An official opening of the upgraded premises of the Centre will be held on 3 August 2001 at 6.00 pm. Professor S Jayakumar, Minister for Law and Minister for Foreign Affairs, will be the Guest of Honour.