STEM Teacher Training Program for Schools in the Plantation Regions
Under the multi-sectoral Indian grant assistance of INR 750 million to mark 200 years of the arrival of the Indian-origin Tamil community to Sri Lanka, announced during the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India in July 2023, a teacher training program in STEM subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English, and Biology) is currently underway in Sri Lanka.
The program was formally inaugurated at a ceremony held on 5th August 2024 at the Prime Minister’s Office, Temple Trees, Colombo.
Deputy High Commissioner of India Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, and the National Institute of Education, teacher-trainers from India, and over 1000 teachers from various schools in the plantation regions of Sri Lanka attended the event.
Under the aegis of the teacher-training program, 19 Indian teachers specialized in imparting training in STEM subjects arrived in Sri Lanka last month.
They underwent orientation engagements anchored by the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development and the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka.
This included intensive interactions with senior officials from both Ministries, field trips covering six schools in the plantation areas of Central and Western provinces, and a structured orientation program organized by the National Institute of Education.
The opening session of the orientation program was addressed by the Hon. Minister of State for Education of Sri Lanka Mr A. Aravindh Kumar, and senior officials of MWSEID, MoE, and the High Commission of India in Colombo.
The focus of the orientation engagements was to review the syllabi, gain an in-depth understanding of the specific HR and infrastructure requirements and expectations of the outcomes of the program, understand the Sri Lankan educational system and pedagogy and teaching techniques employed, identify divergences in curriculum vis-a-vis India, and chalking-out of short-term and long-term strategies for ensuring a successful program, as well as sustained benefits from it.
The teachers will now be deployed in schools in the plantation regions to commence the 10-week teacher-training program.
A meticulous mapping exercise has been carried out to maximize the utilization of the pool of Indian trainers based on the specific requirements of schools in the regions.
Accordingly, the teachers will undertake training sessions in person at nearly 40 centers spread across Central, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa provinces, while certain centers from Western, Southern, and North Western provinces will also join in virtually. Effectively, hundreds of teachers from schools in the plantation areas will benefit from the program by its successful conclusion.
The training program adds to the long list of people-centric development partnership initiatives of India in the country that are guided by the needs of the people of Sri Lanka and the priorities of the Government of Sri Lanka across sectors including education, housing, health, agriculture, livelihood sustenance, renewable energy, ports, railways, among many others