NDB helps develop English Language in NW Province
As a responsible corporate citizen, the NDB has dedicated itself
towards making meaningful benefactions to society through its strategic
corporate responsibility initiatives that uplift and empower the future
generation of Sri Lanka.
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Pictures show the 120 teachers who received their certificates
at the ceremony (seated L-R) Ms. Caroline Mutch, Training
Consultant of British Council, Nanda Herath, Asst Director for
English in North Western Province, Ms. Sharon De Silva, Head of
Refinance and CSR of NDB, Tony Reilly, Country Director of
British Council Sri Lanka, Ms Premawathie, Additional Provincial
Director of Education, Ms Lesley Dick, Manager, English Language
Teacher Training Projects of the British Council and Pasan
Guneratne, Deputy Manager, Marketing of NDB |
In an effort to mobilize this strategic view on sustainability, the
NDB joined hands with the British Council of Colombo on a special
project to enhance the teaching skills of Secondary English Language
Teachers of Government Schools; thereby increasing the standard of
English teaching in Sri Lanka.
The programme which commenced last year, was conducted in several
parts of the North Western Province in partnership with the Ministry of
Education and the Provincial Education Department. English teachers from
several government schools in the region, nominated by the provincial
department, were enrolled in the 50 hour Master Training Course.
The course concluded with an awards ceremony, where 120 English
Teachers passed out with Certificates in Secondary English Language
Teaching (CiSELT), a qualification validated by the British Council
global organization. The ceremony was held recently at the Provincial
Education Department of Kurunegala, with the patronage of officials from
Ministry of Education, Department of Education in the North Western
Province as well as the British Council.
Commenting on this initiative, Russell De Mel, CEO of NDB said,
“English is the universal tongue of the current global marketplace.
Proficiency of this universal language is critical for the success of
businesses and the economic progress of the nation. Therefore today,
teachers who nurture our, children play a pivotal role in setting high
standards of language proficiency in our future generation.
With initiatives such as this programme, we strive to empower the
teachers in the country to provide a higher quality education and
thereby raise the bar for education in Sri Lanka. We will continue to
seek such opportunities to uplift the standard of education and make a
positive contribution towards this national endeavour.”
Reflecting on the Teacher Training programme sponsored by NDB, Tony
Reilly, Country Director of the British Council observed, “There are now
estimated to be, in the region of 1.5 million English speakers globally.
English has become the passport to wealth and opportunity, an essential
requirement for almost every profession.
NDB recognises the importance of English for Sri Lanka’s next
generation, growing up at last in an era of unprecedented peace and
prosperity. We are delighted to be partnering NDB in this ambitious
English Teacher Training initiative. The British Council’s global work
in English, aims to facilitate more widespread and better quality
teaching of English worldwide. That’s what this partnership with NDB in
Sri Lanka is all about.”
Sharing her sentiments on the programme, Ms. Chamarasinghe, English
teacher of Mundel Maha Vidyalaya in Puttlam and one of the trainers at
the sessions stated, “The teacher training programme sponsored by NDB
has been a truly novel experience and a very valuable one for teachers
in rural areas, who have little exposure to new methods and trends of
teaching. The trainings were very well structured and constantly
monitored by the British Council.
There had been plenty of material provided to help us to make the
programme more engaging and this material has been rich in content as
well as design. The convocation held at the end of the programme was
much valued by the participants, as this validated the certification and
provided recognition for their achievement.” Commenting on the programme
structure, Ms. S Sivakumar of the Teacher Centre in Puttalam said, “The
learner-centred, activity-based nature of the training programme added
to the enthusiasm of the participants. It is noteworthy to mention that
majority of the sessions had a 100% attendance rate.
The course was very well designed to develop integrated skills with
focus on areas such as listening, speaking, writing and reading. The
trainers were well equipped with adequate knowledge and different
techniques to deliver the trainings in an effective manner.” NDB’s wider
approach to sustainability is categorised under three pillars of
strategic, philanthropic and operational initiatives; out of which the
strategic initiatives revolve around entrepreneurship and education. NDB
continues its efforts to empower the youth of the nation through
multiple projects. |