– Smart classrooms equipped with remote learning facilities have been introduced at Sri Lanka’s National Colleges of Education for the first time, with plans to extend the facilities to all 20 colleges in the country.Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said one of the main objectives of the ongoing education transformation was to produce teachers with the digital skills needed for the future.She made these remarks at the opening of model smart classrooms at the Maharagama and Ruwanpura National Colleges of Education.

The facilities were provided to Sri Lanka as a grant from the Government of China. The opening ceremony at Maharagama was attended by the Prime Minister and Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Wei Huaxiang, while the smart classroom at Ruwanpura was also declared open.The Government plans to provide similar smart classrooms and remote learning facilities to all 20 National Colleges of Education to improve teacher training through modern technology.The initiative also aims to strengthen teacher development and help address challenges in the education sector, including the shortage of teachers.A Learning Management System (LMS) developed for the Maharagama National College of Education was also launched by the Prime Minister. A model teaching and learning programme was conducted using the new remote learning facilities, with the participation of several National Colleges of Education.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Amarasuriya said the cooperation of the Chinese Government and Huawei in implementing these programmes would help teachers gain the knowledge and skills needed to use digital technology effectively in classrooms.She thanked the Chinese Government for its continued support for Sri Lanka’s education sector and school system.The Prime Minister said developing confident and skilled teachers would help produce a generation of talented and creative students and contribute to the country’s future development.Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, representatives of the Digital Task Force, Huawei Technologies Lanka Chief Executive Officer Daniel Wu, Chief Commissioner of Teacher Education Iroshini K. Paranagama and other ministry officials and company representatives attended the event.