Briefing note to the Hon. Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights

The Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration by Gazette Extraordinary No. 1482/9, dated the 29th January 2007, is mandated to Implement the Official Languages Policy, enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution.

The following institutions function under the Ministry. Each of these institutions play a role in implementing the language policy.

1. Department of Official Languages;
   
   
2. Official languages Commission established by Act No.18 of 1991;
   
   
3. The National Institute of Language Education and Training established by Act, No. 26 of 2007.
   
   

The initiatives stated below, have been taken by the Ministry, with the objective of implementing this Policy, how ever  much need to be done for the full realisation of same.

Bilingulization of the Public Service

1. In the year 2007 the Ministry took  the initiative to Bilingulize the Public Service.Public Administration Circular No. 3/2007 dated 9th February 2007, provides  for attractive incentives, for the officers in the service, who acquire the competency in the second languages.  The Public Service is now being categorised  under three categories.  (Annex I).
   
   
2. Category I                        -           Management Grade
   Category 2                       -           Management Assistants Grade
   Category 3                       -           Others
   
   The officers under Category 1 is paid an allowance of Rs. 25,000/-, Category 2, Rs 20,000/- and Category III Rs. 15,000/-, on acquiring  the competency in the second language.  Further additional increments are also granted on acquiring this competency and conducive environment is provided for learning the language.
   
   
3. The new recruits to the public service should acquire the competency in the second language within five years of joining the service thereof confirmation of the post (Annex II).    Failure to achieve this competency would result non confirmation in their posts.

According to the Commissioner, Official Languages Department, for  the year 2007, the Department is in the process of training 6369 Public Officers.  On completion of the course the viva was held in December.  The written paper for the successful candidates will be held in March 2008.

The Department is ready to commence classes for Category III and Category  II,  this year.

Translators Service

To address the problem of the dearth of translators in the public service, the Cabinet of Ministers has appointed a Committee consisting of the Director General, Management Services, Representative of the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration, Director General Establishment and  a representative of the Ministry of Public Administration  to ascertain the current position with regard to the Translators Service and recommend measure to reformulate the  service with the objective of  making the service more attractive for recruitment.

This has aroused much interest among the current public officers currently in office to study the second language.

Translation Bureau

The Department of Official Languages is in the process of setting up a Translation Bureau as a pilot project  until the National Translators Centre is established by law.This bureau would provide translations to all government institutions.

National Institute of Language Education and Training.

This Institute was established by Act, No. 26 of 2007 with  the objective  of ;

1. competent teachers to teach Sinhala, Tamil and English to those who are desirous of acquiring such knowledge;
   
   
2. competent translators and interpreters in the Sinhala, Tamil and English languages who shall constitute the National Translator Service and the National Interpreters Service to be established by written law;
   
   
3. qualified trainers to train language teachers, translators and interpriters in the  Sinhala, Tamil and English Languages;
   
   
4. trained persons with trilingual capabilities for the efficient provision of services to the public.

The Board of Management and the Academic Board have been appointed.  The institute is in the process of commencing its work in April 2008.  In April the first batch of students will be enrolled to the institution.

Tamil Language classes at Pirivena

Tamil language is taught in fifty nine Pirivenas's in the island,  to lay persons and  the clergy with the objective of promoting national integration.  In view of the Bilingualisation of the Public Service, the Ministry is now in the process of streamlining the activities relating to the language teaching at the Pirivena's.

Discussions are underway with all the relevant stakeholders to  achieve this goal. (N.I.E., and Ministry of Education)
National Integration Programme Unit which is presently functioning under the Ministry is supporting this cause and also supporting the language training to public officers.

Language Audit.

A Language Audit is being conducted by the Official Languages Commission and the Department of Official Languages, to assess the  needs of government institutions  for effective Implementation of the Language Policy.  On completion of the Audit a comprehensive Report would be made available to asses the requirements.

Negenahira Nawodaya – Reawaking of the Eastern Province, 180 Day Programme.

Under this programme the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration provided financial resourcces  to put up Trilingual Name Boards and Sign Boards in all  Divisional Secretarial Divisions in the Eastern Province.
This included 22 D. S Divisions in the Ampara District, 12 in the Baticaloa District and 7 in the Trincomalee District.

Official Languages Commission

The Official Languages Commission established by Act, No 8of 1991 is mandated under the Act  to monitor the implementation of the language policy with emphases on the directives or circulars made, make policy with regard to the implementation of same.

The Commission is also required to promote language teaching and also it own violation or an complaints made to inquire into violations of the language right.

Multi Media based Distance Learning Programme

The programmes for language teaching is not able to meet the challenges faced in the implementation of the official languages policy. Hence as there is a need to accelerate the teaching of languages and to have a better out reach. 
A multi media Distance learning Programme is to be introduce in the immediate future.