Asian Developing Member Countries’ Learning Journey to NIE

Education specialists, policymakers and leaders from the Asian Developing Member Countries (DMCs) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) visited NIE on 24 Aug 2017. They were led by Dr Brajesh Panth (Technical Advisor, Education of ADB) and Professor S. Gopinathan (Academic Director, The HEAD Foundation). Professor Low Ee Ling (Chief Planning Officer, Director’s Office), together with Professor Paul Teng (Senior Advisor, Director’s Office) and Associate Professor Ng Pak Tee (Associate Dean, Leadership Learning) hosted the delegation. The delegation was given an overview of NIE, our leadership programmes and an introduction to NIE International. They were also given a tour of our library.

National Education Commission act

National Education Commission was established under the National Education Commission act No. 19. of 1991 to make recommendations to the President, on educational policy in all its aspects, with a view to, ensuring continuity in educational policy and enabling the education system to respond to changing needs in society. Review and analyze such policies and plans in operation and where necessary, to recommend to the President, changes in such Policy Plan or plans.

Comprehensive National Education Policy includes the following matters.
Aims and goals of education; the structure of the educational system – pre-school, primary, secondary tertiary, higher, informal, nonformal, adult, special, professional and religious; the establishment, location and distribution of educational institutions, including methods and criteria for admission of students and recruitment of teachers; the content of education, including medium of instruction, diversification of curricula, text books and learning materials, the place of religious knowledge, observance and practice, assessment and evaluation, the examination system, certificates, diplomas and academic awards and recognition of qualification; recruitment, placement, disciplinary control and professional growth of education service personnel, including teachers, para -education personnel, supervisors and administrators; resources for education, including the mobilization of community participation; and ancillary services for education including mid-day meals, health and dental services, physical education and sports.

“Suraksha” for the perpetual protection of our children….

We are now in front of a promising approach. In the history this type of stories were heard very rarely. This kind of a welfare project is launched for the first time not only in Sri Lanka but for the first time in South Asia.
 

The Ministry of Education under the directions of The Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has started health insurance scheme covering all school children in the country. The insurer is the Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation. All school going children of you and us between the ages of 05 to 19 have been covered under this insurance scheme. The insurance is launched under the theme of ‘Let’s Protect Our Children Perpetually”. It has been named as “Suraksha students insurance”.

There are forty five hundred thousand school children in our country. They learn in 11242 schools. Nearly forty five hundred thousand students between the ages of 05 to 19 studying in government schools, assisted private schools, non-assisted private schools, international schools and the student monks in Pirivenas have become instantly the beneficiaries of this insurance. All of them have been compulsorily registered in this insurance. All data files of them are being prepared at the moment.

No initial payments…..

The parents of these children will not have to pay any amount regarding this insurance; all the payments for Suraksha student insurance will be borne by the government. Initially under the 2017 government budget proposals Rupees 2.7 billion has been allocated for this insurance. The insurance organization is the Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation. In an event of insuring, the insurance company is entitled for a legal amount of commission. Using that money, an additional fund is scheduled to be opened according to a request made by The Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam. That fund is scheduled to be functioned just as the Presidential fund that provides financial assistance for diseases like Cancer, Marrow transplant and special surgeries those are not covered by the insurance.

How the benefits are received from the insurance…..

Annual insurance cover for residential patients and the provision of medical services is rupees two hundred thousand. For one occasion of hospitalizing a child, expenses up to one hundred thousand will be reimbursed. The insurance has provided the opportunity to reimburse the medical charges for medical tests even without hospitalization of a child. The insurance cooperation issues a card for each child covered by the insurance. The beneficiary must submit this card when he receives treatment. The insurance has based initially the government hospitals and government medical service. But the insurance cover is provided even when any private hospital registered under the Ministry of Health or an Ayurvedic hospital is selected for treatment.

Obtaining treatment from a government hospital….

When residential treatment is obtained from a government hospital, payments are made per thousand rupees a day maximum thirty days in a year. Furthermore, for the tests obtained from outside while being under residential treatment in a government hospital, there is insurance cover up to ten thousand rupees.

Obtaining treatment from a private hospital…..

If the treatments are taken from any private hospital registered under the ministry of health, a maximum payment of one hundred thousand will be made. As a result of a discussion made by the minister of education with the association of private hospital owners and the association of specialist doctors, it has been agreed to give twenty per cent rebate for hospital charges and the charges of specialist doctors for the children taking treatment under the Suraksha students insurance.

Providing medical services for the children having residential care….

When a child admits to a private hospital, a paying ward in a government hospital or an Ayurvedic hospital charging fees, maximum payment for a room is five thousand rupees per day. The annual maximum payment is sixty thousand rupees.

There are criteria for medical payments too. Payment for the doctors with MBBS, DAMS or other higher qualifications is maximum thirty thousand rupees for one hospitalization. The annual maximum payment is sixty thousand rupees. The payment for various hospital services such as medicine, different kinds of drugs, surgical charges and special treatments is forty thousand rupees for one hospitalization. The annual maximum payment is eighty thousand rupees.

When not admitted to a hospital….

This insurance provides the opportunity to have the insurance cover for treatments and doctors’ fees without hospitalization also. There is a maximum annual cover of ten thousand rupees for the outdoor treatments for seven illnesses. Those diseases are special illnesses with life threats. For covering the expenses for medicine and clinical tests in relation to cancer, last stage kidney failures, transplant of main organs, paralysis, blindness, multi … and third range burnings can be covered up to ten thousand rupees.

Other coverings…

If a child is dead in an accident, the compensation will be one hundred thousand rupees. If the parents of the child are dead (only for one person) the amount provided for the continuation of his studies is seventy five thousand rupees. If a child becomes totally invalid (including full blindness, losing two limbs, losing one limb, losing one eye) the compensation paid is one hundred thousand rupees. Compensation for half invalid condition is fifty thousand rupees.

Occasions not covered by the insurance….

When receiving residential treatment in a private hospital the registration fee will not be covered by the insurance. Discussions are being held for covering that occasion also. When the room charge is exceeding five thousand rupees per day, that amount must be borne by the insured. VAT will be charged when the sub field limit is exceeding.

The insurance cover will not be given to the insured for the acute diseases he had prior to obtaining this insurance. The acute diseases of invalid children by birth are not covered by the insurance. Payments are not done for the hospitalizations without a recommendation of a doctor and for the treatments without a certification from a qualified doctor. The insurance is not liable for the treatments done by the doctors not having the government approval. The insurance is also not liable for plastic surgeries, beauty therapies, treatments for reducing weight, hospitalizing only for diagnosis without treatments, deaths or permanent disability in a natural disaster, medical treatments obtained outside the country, claims made by the children beyond the age limit, venereal diseases and accidents happening due to the use of alcohol.

This insurance scheme has been prepared following the basic conditions applied in any insurance scheme made with any insurance company in the world. Our children will be protected from today under those conditions.

We had been unsafe severely as a country and had been helpless people. Sometimes we had been such worthless people. It is a real luck to be able to keep a special step as a nation to protect our children in such a society with numerous challenges.

Advantages of Digital Technology in Education

One of the advantages of having computer-assisted instruction in the classroom is that the computer can serve as a tutor. Teachers can only help students in the learning process to a certain level and only during school hours. ... Efficiency is a huge benefit from having technology in the classrooms.

“Integrating ICT for the process of quality assurance in Sri Lankan schools”. I like to collect information for “How we can use ICT to improve process of Quality Assurance in schools. Which type of tools can use for that? What are the benefits?

Quality assessment can covert in to online solution that will provide greater benefit to the all stakeholders like school. teachers parents and administrators I have seen CAP, GAP program has been designed online for most of Assessment programs.

I read an article in Indian education system. They use online dashboard to keep internal and external evaluation details. Are there any digital methods to collect evidence from schools on process of evaluation.

Administration

It may support the automation of administration activities. With a right blend of tools and design you can minimize lot of administrative burdens such as timetabling, LAB management, staff management etc.

Pedagogy

Teachers may use digital tools to organize, practice and track the academic activities and may use the simple technological additions to their day to day teaching process. You need not to have all the facilities, even with minimum resources you can bring ICT to classroom and increase the quality in teaching. There are lots more we can keep on discussing, feel free to add your feedback.

Today we had a good practical sessions on how to write a portfolio for SLEAS new tranees at NIE and did some practical sessions of how to use interactive whiteboard , visualizer and some other equipment to the teaching and learning process. All the effort made to knowledge about Ict in education.

“In pre-school boost, parents are the missing critical players”

A child’s education will not be complete or effective without parent support and engagement in the pre-school. There is much scholarly work which shows the importance of parental involvement in helping young children learn and develop better in pre-school. 

The fact is, parents are involved parties once they enroll their child in a pre-school. 

There are many easy ways parents can get involved in their child’s education. For example, parents can attend various activities conducted by the pre-school such as talks, workshops, parent-teacher conferences, open house events or concerts.

Parents can also be actively engaged in and help with various activities in the pre-school as volunteers. For example, parents can read or tell stories, accompany children on field trips, prepare concert outfits and props, take care of the nature corner, or raise funds for needy children in or outside the pre-school.

Parents can also invite children and teachers to their workplaces so that children can learn about occupations and see for themselves what they entail.

In fact, parents can also provide support for each other. For example, parents can share their own stories and experiences with other parents, and assist new children and their parents with settling into the pre-school. Parents can also help those who are unable to communicate in English or understand changes in policies relevant to families and children.

So depending on their expertise, experience and availability, parents can take advantage of opportunities to participate in various ways to support each other, teachers and their children in pre-school.

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FROM HOME TO PRE-SCHOOL

When children observe that their parents are involved in activities at their pre-school, they develop a sense of pride, self-identity and security.

When they observe their parents supporting their pre-school teachers, they develop respect and trust for their teachers. When they observe their parents and teachers working together, they view their own education as a continuous process from home to pre-school and vice-versa.

Teachers need parents to support pre-school programmes which focus on the holistic development of their children. Teachers also need parents to respect and trust them, and their professional judgement and wisdom of practice to provide the best care and education for their children.  

Hence, a child’s education will not be complete or effective without teachers and parents working closely together to build a strong relationship based on care, respect and trust.

This relationship is crucial in ensuring that a young child's love for learning continues beyond the pre-school and has a lasting impact on his or her future – including the rest of their school journey, work and life.

What is NeLC? - Srilankan e-learning movements

The NeLC project is to build up and maintain a sustainable National e-Learning Centre (NeLC) in Sri Lanka that will be a mechanism for the use of ICT for national development as to visualize the e-Sri Lanka program. The NeLC would do so by the promotion of teaching, learning and research for exploring and formulating new and innovative content development, delivery and evaluation exploiting the benefits of ICT.

The e-Sri Lanka program of the government of Sri Lanka is the major driving force behind the strategy to provide the necessary inputs to rapidly develop the country through the multi pronged infusion of ICT based initiatives. It is pursuing a policy of providing access to learning resources to all parts of society as a major thrust in its human resources development effort, and has integrated the developments of these and other soft skills with its other major goals such as re-engineering government, development of the communications infrastructure and setting in place societal applications to help alleviate poverty. The NeLC project is aimed at providing the necessary e-Learning capacity for these initiatives.

The purpose of this project is to deliver more effective, efficient, scalable and economical learning opportunities based on an e-Learning model of the project to stakeholder communities in Universities, Schools, the Public Sector and Society at large is created by covering all provinces in Sri Lanka including the north and east.

This e-Learning infrastructure which will also support both local languages of Sinhala and Tamil, is expected to be a fundamental enabler of the human resource development efforts at all levels. It will facilitate to bring e-Learning based educational content to those who are in rural areas with limited income.

Hence, the project will indirectly contribute to the alleviation of poverty and the building up of ethnic harmony in the country through the creation of a society with greater access to knowledge. The Project will eventually contribute towards the creation of an e-Learning culture in the country.

Nearly half fail O/L-2013 Maths and hence fail exam

Nearly half of the Ordinary Level (O/L) candidates have effectively failed the exam as they failed to obtain pass marks in Mathematics which is a compulsory subject.

According to statistics issued by the Education Ministry on Friday, of the 264,177 school candidates who sat for Mathematics on their first attempt, 112,987 or 42.77 per cent failed to obtain at least 40 per cent, the standard pass mark, or a simple pass.

Higher Education Ministry Secretary stated that passing in Mathematics was compulsory to pass the O/L exam, adding that, to qualify for the Advanced Level (A/ L), every student was required to obtain pass marks in Mathematics.

We allow some students who have passed in other subjects to enter the A/L stream, on the condition that they clear Mathematics before they sit for the AL exam. These students are allowed to offer only Mathematics in the following exam to enable them to sit for the A/L exam.

However, statistics released by the Education Ministry state that 66.67 per cent of school candidates taking the exam for the first time, qualified for the Al.

Meanwhile, over half the candidates who sat for the English Language paper at the O/L have also failed to obtain pass marks. Of the 264,157 students who sat, 52 per cent failed. Students performed better in Science where 67.5 per cent obtained pass marks.
~NEWS~