Improving Educational Standards in Sri Lanka
In fall of 2004, VeAhavta began to plan a new program designed to improve the quality of education in Sri Lanka. While the on-going civil war has severely disrupted all aspects of life in Sri Lanka, perhaps the greatest impact has been upon the children. Children affected by the war, throughout the country, often live in acute poverty, yet due to the lack of resources, education and opportunity, they are unable to escape the cycle of poverty and struggle to survive on a daily basis. Although some children, such as those at our Grace Care Center in Trincomalee, are fortunate enough to have their basic physical needs met, it’s not enough to help them blossom into tomorrow’s leaders. They desperately need an effective education.
After conducting a study of the educational problems in the area, VeAhavta has concluded that many of the schools, especially those in rural areas, lack even basic resources. Children have few, if any, schoolbooks; libraries, if they exist, are fortunate to have more than just a few books. Most importantly, teachers are often untrained and are thus unable to address the immense barriers to education that have been caused by the devastating effects of the war.
Most teacher training facilities are not accessible to most of the population; as such, any training that occurs is minimal and insufficient, creating a sense of instability that impedes instructors from obtaining the skills they must have in order to teach effectively. The lack of training coupled with a severe shortage of resources has left the vast majority of teachers without the ability to effectively manage classrooms, address learning disparities in student ability levels, foster critical thinking, or offer remedial education to repair “educational gaps.” Thus, most students are unable to escape the cycle of failure. Yet, if the fabric of Sri Lankan society is to be effectively repaired, then educating children effectively must be of paramount concern.
VeAhavta is, therefore, determined to improve the quality of education in those areas affected by the war. To accomplish this goal, our Director of Education, Alissa Sears of Santa Barbara, California, has developed a program for the development of the “Grace Learning Center” to provide effective, on-going teacher training courses that are readily available throughout the country and that will empower local teachers to begin to develop their students’ learning potential and individual abilities.
A highly trained team of educators will travel to Sri Lanka with VeAhavta’s Director of Education to develop the Grace Learning Center. VeAhavta’s team of educators will work with the Ministry of Education, departments of Education, local education officials, universities, and teachers to provide continual teacher training courses, education workshops throughout the country, and internship programs that will allow teachers to employ their new skills in a practical setting.
There will be measurable improvement in students’ ability to:
*Apply what they are learning
*Maintain interest in the subject
*Overall improvement in grades
*Improve spoken English
Teachers will be able to better:
*Manage their classrooms
*Handle classroom differences in ability levels
*Help students become actively involved in their learning
*Address any barrier to an effective education
Together we will work to provide youths and community members with a space for discussion, joint activities, and community improvement courses and endeavors. The teachers-in-training will be able to provide tutoring services to the community, emphasizing the importance of education so that families and community members can work together to help their children learn and grow. Recreational and educational activities will enable university students to serve as mentors and role models to younger students, promoting much needed unity.
With an effective education, students will be equipped with the tools they need to secure better futures for themselves; tools with which to promote sustainable peace and enhance a more stable international community. All children deserve a bright future; with increasing interdependence and globalization, promoting peace in a land ridden with war through education and community development will provide not just Sri Lankans, but also the international community, with a brighter future.
With your support, we will be able to develop the Grace Learning Center, empowering the communities of Sri Lanka and establishing this as a model for effective community building across various facets of diversity. You can help by making tax-deductible contributions to VeAhavta’s “Grace Learning Center Fund.” If you are a teacher and would like to get involved, please contact Alissa Sears at: (805) 969-3744, or by sending her an email at: .
Thank you for your generous support.
VeAhavta