Learn English-the novel way

The English Speaking School:

by Husna Inayathullah

The ceremonial launch of The English Speaking School (TESS), a new English teaching and testing initiative for schools under the Presidential Initiative on 'English as a Life Skill' was implemented by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Presidential Secretariat on March 3, at the BMICH in the presence of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

The program seeks to develop innovative and appropriate IT software which the English teachers of our school system may upload lessons and other teaching materials in conformity with the approved syllabi for transmitting reading, writing, listening and speaking skills and competences among secondary school students.

IT tools will also be developed and cascade progressively through the school system. Teachers of English will also share their teaching materials electronically and learn from one another.

In its opening phase, the program will be piloted in three selected schools, Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa, Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa and Mahinda Rajapaksa College, Pitipana, Homagama from where the program will cascade progressively across the school system. Starting with the 1,000 schools that will have dedicated language laboratories by the end of the year and all the other schools that have the facility of a computer laboratory.

The new program evolved out of a proposal by the past students, teachers and senior students of Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, Moratuwa at their 137th Founder's Day Ceremony last year and communicated to the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Education and its launch coincided with the 138th Founder's Day this year.

The program which evolved creatively and systematically in measured steps over the past 12 months will be steered and implemented by a consortium of 14 partners from the public and private sectors such as the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), English Language Training Unit of the University of Moratuwa (ELTU), Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS),The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, the British Council, the Commercial Bank, Edexcel, Skills for Life, Intel, John Keells Holdings PLC and Gateway Language Centre, as its technical partner.

The Old Boys' Association and Old Girls' Association of Prince and Princess of Wales College will provide material resources for the pilot stage of TESS.

The Presidential Secretariat, through the Presidential Task Fork on English and IT and the Special Initiatives Unit (SIU) of the Secretariat, will coordinate the program and the Ministry of Education and the Presidential Programs Unit (PPU)of the Ministry will provide technical and budgetary support through their ongoing programs and budget lines for the pilot phase of TESS.

At the same time these two organisations will take the leadership throughout the program.

Presidential Task Force on English and IT coordinator Dr. Sunimal Fernando said incorporating English and IT will provide the right combination and empowerment for school-leavers to be equipped for the demands of higher education on the one hand and to access a job market with high rates of remuneration on the other.

He said that 1,000 computer-aided language laboratories with 20 computers in each are currently being set up and that 100 are already completed and the remaining 900 are now under construction will be completed before the end of the year.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena said following the decision of the Ministry to test English language listening and speaking skills , marks will be allocated for listening and speaking at the GCE (Ordinary Level) examination from 2015.

He said that the students will be able to converse in English in future and be confident in their lives without merely getting through examinations.