STEPS opened in Jaffna

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The Skills Through English for Public Servants (STEPS) Institute was opened in Jaffna on 19 October by Northern Province Governor Major General Chandrasiri with guests, Country Director GTZ Jutta Zinnel and Country Director British Council Sri Lanka Gill Westaway.

“The Government has declared this year as the year of English and ICT. So we wanted to establish a training institute that would support teachers who work with English and ICT in the school system as well as managers who work with good governance in the public administration system. Through the STEPS Institute we can reach out to children and citizens alike,” Northern Province Education, Culture and Sports Ministry Secretary Ledchumanan Illangovan said.

He said the training institute will provide teachers and other public servants a unique opportunity to develop their skills in good governance, effective communication and management through English.

The STEPS program, pitched at five different levels of English from elementary to lower advanced, is designed by GTZ and developed and conducted by the British Council.” The STEPS Institute Jaffna is part of the Northern Provincial Council’s vision to create a quality centre for the on-going professional development.