“I really wanted to become a doctor, but we don’t have a science teacher in school and I don’t have money to go to the town for science tuition classes (in tears), so I had to give up on my dream.”
– Batticaloa West Student
BATTICALOA PILOT PROGRAM
In partnership with Child Action Lanka, our 2024 pilot program has focused on the critical shortage of STEM teachers in three schools within the Batticaloa West Education Zone.
Ten A/L-qualified volunteer teachers were recruited from the local community and underwent an intensive one-month pre-service training. , these volunteers received comprehensive training, including one month of pre-service training and ongoing mentorship from a life skills coach at Eastern University.
They will then teach for 18 months, ensuring continuity in the classroom.
Additionally, the project tests the feasibility of developing leadership focused on educational equity.
If successful, it promises long-term sustainability and enhanced educational quality in Batticaloa.
Collaboration between schools and zonal offices has shown that employing A-level graduates can mitigate teacher shortages. This project provides the necessary incentives to attract top local talent and ensures they receive robust support to excel in their roles.
Objectives of the Project
To Increase the number of capable local teachers in the community by training and deploying 10 volunteers at schools to address teacher shortages in 3 rural schools within the Eravurpattur division to serve for a period of two years.
To Increase the % of students that achieve a grade of 50% or more in the subjects that our volunteers will teach.
To foster an inclusive and engaging culture and increase the % of students that engage in volunteer-facilitated classrooms.
To assess the success of the pilot program based on the improved volunteer recruitment, retention, and community engagement metrics to be a foundational program for a 2-year fellowship program.