(Sri Lanka) Govt to provide special needs training for 35,000 preschool teachers
Sri Lanka
Colombo, Nov. 5 (Daily Mirror) - The Government is planning further measures to improve access to quality preschool education for children with special needs under its national early childhood education development programme, Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs Dr. Namal Sudarshana said.
He said special attention had been given to the educational requirements of children with special needs as part of the Government's efforts to improve the quality of preschool education across the country.
According to the Deputy Minister, discussions are expected to be held with relevant institutions and officials to identify the necessary interventions, provide appropriate facilities and develop future programmes to ensure that these children receive quality early childhood education.
He said preschool education was a crucial stage in a child's development, as it laid the foundation for their future learning and educational progress.
Therefore, improving the knowledge, skills and professional competencies of preschool teachers was essential to creating a better learning environment for young children, including those requiring additional educational support.
The Government is currently implementing a free national-level training programme for approximately 35,000 identified preschool teachers across Sri Lanka.
The programme is being jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, with the involvement of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development and the National Institute of Education.
Each preschool teacher will receive 10 days of training under the programme, which also aims to introduce a structured national curriculum framework, strengthen preschool registration and improve professional standards in the sector.
Dr. Sudarshana said the Government intended to ensure equal access to training and professional development opportunities for all preschool teachers, without allowing financial difficulties to become a barrier.
He stressed that improving preschool education required attention not only to teacher training but also to the different learning needs of children, ensuring that every child had an opportunity to receive a quality early education.
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