Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha has unveiled plans to ensure that only qualified teachers with government-stipulated qualifications will be allowed to engage in pre-school education in the future. Speaking at the inauguration of a national program to provide free school books to economically disadvantaged children at Bomiriya National School, the Minister emphasized the significance of pre-school education as the foundation of primary education.
Under the new initiative, approximately 40,000 pre-school teachers across 19,000 different pre-schools throughout the country will undergo specific training and receive a diploma. Only teachers with such qualifications will be permitted to establish and operate pre-schools.
Drawing inspiration from the Japanese education system, the Minister emphasized the importance of providing activity-based education to pre-school children, aiming to reduce the burden of exams and unnecessary learning pressure in subsequent educational levels. The Ministry of Education has already trained 13,800 primary teachers in 2022 and is continuing to train the same number in 2023.
Furthermore, a special program in collaboration with UNICEF is in place to develop primary education, and the use of English has been integrated into the curriculum from year one classes. The Minister highlighted the goal of strengthening pre-schools to achieve primary education development targets.
In addition to this, a pilot program will offer vocational training to students for six months after the A/L examination, commencing in 2024. The training courses will be conducted within respective schools, benefiting around 210,000 students who will sit for the A/L exam later this year.
Looking ahead, the Minister revealed plans for a pilot program to provide opportunities for 300,000 school students to pursue courses in Information Technology, English language, and vocational training of their choice after passing the Ordinary Level examination. These initiatives aim to enhance the overall quality of education and prepare students for future success in their academic and professional pursuits.
