IOM funds pre-school teacher training project

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 13:47 GMT]
Five-day residential workshop for pre-school Tamil and Muslim teachers in the Trincomalee district funded by the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) began Sunday in Valluvar Kottam, which is located along Inner Harbour Road in the east port town. Pre-School Educational Development Council (PSEDC) of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in collaboration with the Pre-School Division of the North East Provincial Ministry of Education has been implementing the project.

A workshop for Sinhalese pre-school teachers is to be conducted next week in Kantalai in the district, said Mr.V.Kalaivarnan, Project Officer of the Trincomalee district secretariat.

Ms Jeya Thambiah, Assistant Director of Education in charge of the Pre-School Education Development in the Provincial Ministry of Education presided. She said in the Trincomalee district about 360 pre-schools are functioning with 550 teachers. About ten thousand children between the ages 3-5 are attending these schools.

A Muslim pre-school teacher lighting the traditional oil lamp while (L-R ) Ms.Nithiyaprabah, Mr.S.Thavanathan, Mr.karikalan, Ms Jeya Thambiah and Mr.V.Kalaivarnan look on.

Ms.Jeya Thambiah, Provincial Education Ministry official speaking at the event.

Mr.V. Karikalan, an official of the IOM in Trincomalee said that IOM has come forward to assist pre-school teacher-training programme of the TRO-PSEDC in the Trincomalee district. These teachers need training as they are given the task of handling the children in the coastal areas who have been psychologically affected after tsunami disaster. IOM has supplied toys and other materials to pre-schools. IOM has decided to construct buildings to three pre-schools shortly.

Mr.Kalaivarnan, TRO Project officer in Trincomalee and Mr.S.Thavanathan, Assistant Director of Education (Pre-school division) and Ms Nithiayaprapha, PSEDC Co-Ordinator in Trincomalee also spoke.




A section of the pre-school teachers attending the workshop.