A 10-member group of school boys from St. Patrick’s College Jaffna, accompanied by their principal Fr. Jero Selvanayagam and teacher Mr. Berty Bannister, returned to Sri Lanka today after their successful and productive visit to New Delhi, India from 15th – 22nd August and called on Acting High Commissioner Shri Vikram Misri to convey appreciation to the India Sri Lanka Foundation for facilitating their visit as part of the Student Exchange Programme.

The group was hosted by St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School, New Delhi and the students were able to experience Indian culture and ways of life as they also visited the homes of their Indian peers. The team from St. Patrick’s played the Annual Father Peter Mermier Football Tournament 2011 against their counterparts in New Delhi. The students also staged cultural shows which showcased the different cultures in Sri Lanka at the welcome ceremony given to them by their host school.

The Student Exchange Programme is an annual event sponsored by the India- Sri Lanka Foundation, and this is the first visit of a boys’ school to India that has been sponsored by the Foundation. Last year, Holy Family Convent, Jaffna and St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School, New Delhi participated in a similar programme.

A group of 14 students from different schools in Jaffna are also scheduled to visit New Delhi from the 4th-9th September to play a cricket match against Delhi Public School, New Delhi. This is also an event supported by the India-Sri Lanka Foundation under its youth programme which helps in creating awareness and understanding about each other amongst the youth and create bonds of friendship.

The India - Sri Lanka Foundation was established by a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of India and Sri Lanka in 1998 in order to foster India - Sri Lanka relations through the enhancement of economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation and to promote greater understanding between the people of the two countries. The Student Exchange Programme of the foundation seeks to develop and enhance bonds of friendship between students of the two countries.