Skills To Empower Programme (STEP)

Week long training courses were held at each of the three SFFL Centres, covering child psychology and development, classroom management, planning and preparation, workshops on the making of early learning games and resources, music and creative art workshops, assessment of children's progress, parental support and awareness, and how Early Learning Centres will in future be monitored and evaluated formally. The training sessions were enthusiastically received and teachers have asked for more.

The schools to be used as model Centres have now been identified

v      Puttalam District        : Saint Jose Marawela

v      Hambantota District   : Malpettawa, Ambalantota

v      Monaragala District    : Navodaya Liyangolla

Two of the three schools chosen are at present undergoing structural repairs and maintenance, which has prevented those schools being properly laid out and rearranged. However, an assortment of learning resources covering all development areas for each of the three Centres has been prepared and constructed by myself with the help of the Education/Social Services Coordinators and model school teachers. A list of all learning resources and materials which should be present in their schools has now been given to each Social Development Officer. They have also received special training as to how their schools should be managed and laid out.

During the last few days following the training five schools in Monaragala District and four in Hambantota District have been visited to monitor implementation of strategies learnt during training. Only three schools showed that a real effort was being made to create an active and well balanced day of activities for the children. Two schools had made half hearted efforts but the rest had made no effort at all which was disappointing, though we were assured that they intended to do so during January! Schools in the Puttlam District will be visited from January 22nd to 26th.