German Government funds teacher training in Northeast

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 22:58 GMT]
A three-year teacher training project funded by the German Ministry of Technical Co-operation and Economical Development has been launched in the north-east province.

This project is designed to build up and strengthen the teaching capacity of primary teachers in the north east province, so that they can create a learning environment suitable for all students, sources said.

The German Technical Co-operation (G.T.Z) is the agency implementing the project. The major project partners are the Provincial Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Colombo.

The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of basic education to students in grade 1-5. The project period is from April 1999 to March 2002.

This project was officially inaugurated by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sri Lanka, Mr.Helmut Van Edig last Monday in Trincomalee.

After formally opening the centre he addressed a meeting held at the conference hall of the Provincial Ministry of Education.

He said that the establishment of this centre was an important step forward on the road to better education in the north east province. He mentioned that education could contribute significantly to developing a harmonious society in a war-torn country.

Education could be used to reduce ethnic tensions. He added that in this context it seems urgent to reintegrate the children of internally displaced persons and refugees into the schooling system, as soon as possible.

Mr.Sundaram Divakalala, from the Provincial Ministry of Education, said that the north east was undergoing immense problems in the field of education due to ethnic conflict and the unending war. Thus the need and purpose of this Teacher In-service Project was great to improve the teaching capacity of the primary teachers in the north east.

Dr.M.Hirth, Project Manager of the T.I.P., delivered the keynote address. He said that education has a critical role to play in preventing conflicts. Indeed education in conflict and crisis situations has emerged as a major concern. The re-establishment of basic social services including education, are crucial to society's return to normal life.