CBB and British Council award 195 English teachers with Cambridge qualifications

Friday, 4 November 2016 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The annual Council for Business with Britain (CBB) Project English awards ceremony was held recently at the Ministry of Education. At the event, 195 teachers across Sri Lanka were awarded the Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) qualification offered by Cambridge English Language Assessment, having completed a distance teacher training course delivered by mentors in 29 Regional English Support Centres (RESCs) located around the country.

The event was graced by several dignitaries – Sunil Hettiarachchi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Maheshi Weerasuriya, Director, English and Foreign Language Branch, Laura Davies, Deputy British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Mark Prothero, CEO, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives, Keith Davies, Country Director British Council Sri Lanka, Karim Schadlou, Chairman CBB and General Manager Hilton Colombo Residences, and Tania Polonnowita, Chairperson, ELT-Sub Committee, CBB.

A non-profit, non-political organisation focused on expanding bilateral trade links between Sri Lanka and the UK, the CBB pursues mutually beneficial business relationships for Sri Lanka and the UK. Organising regular events, CBB helps the business communities from these two countries to come together. The project was designed and is being managed by the British Council with HSBC as the Principal Sponsor.

The CBB-British Council Teacher Training programme started in 2006. The overall goal of the programme is to upgrade the English skills of pupils and this is achieved through improving the quality of the teaching practice in their schools. The project has trained a total of 57 mentors from the Ministry of Education’s Regional English Support Centres (RESCs) ensuring the project’s wide geographical coverage across Sri Lanka. The mentors deliver in-service teacher training to teachers in their areas using a distance learning course, which leads to the internationally recognised qualification. The project has trained over 2000 teachers to date.

The TKT examination comprises of three modules which focus on the core knowledge and skills needed by teachers of the English language.

Keith Davies, Country Director British Council Sri Lanka commenting on the event said “Using the cultural resources of the UK, British Council aims to create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Working with partners (such as the Ministry of Education and CBB) is critical to our success.

Through our work in English we strive to reach millions of teachers and learners to provide them with access to the best resources and latest approaches in language teaching and learning. This project is a prime example and has successfully trained over 2000 teachers, for the benefit of over 250,000 students in various parts of Sri Lanka.”

“We see English as a bridge that connects us to each other and the world, enriching our lives and opening up a host of possibilities. As an international bank that has a rich history in Sri Lanka dating back to 1892, HSBC knows the benefits of fusing cultures and building bridges. We hope this project will provide a stepping stone to children and teachers alike and help them realise their ambitions,” said Mark Prothero, CEO, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.