ComBank, British Council conduct teacher training program

The Commercial Bank's CSR Trust with the British Council in Kandy conducted a training program in Kandy recently to enhance the skills of 200 English language teachers in the district.

Teachers were selected from 153 schools from four educational zones for this program at Kingswood College, Kandy.

The program in the form of a road show, consisted of a series of training sessions conducted by eight trainers with one training coordinator and logistical support. Participants rotated around a series of four sessions.

The objective of the program was to make teachers more confident in using English in the classroom, better able to exploit their text books to develop speaking and listening skills, to increase the ratio of pupil talking time as opposed to teacher talking time in their classrooms, and use a more child-centred and activity-based methodology in the classroom.

The British Council also developed new training materials in booklet form to develop the listening and speaking skills of pupils.

At the end of the program participants received certificates and took part in a competition for which prizes were provided by the British Council and Commercial Bank.