Community English
Programme
Wednesdays of the first term are used to teach our students how to teach. The curriculum for this basic teaching programme has been approved by the Education Ministry of Sri Lanka and delivered by the teachers of Tea Leaf Vision Centre for Professional Development. As part of their training exam, our students have to 'teach' one of the lesson plans to the Programme Director of the Tea Leaf Trust (Mr Tim Pare) and the Community English Programme Coordinator Mrs Beulah Davidson. At the end of the first term, students are divided into groups of twos and threes, ensuring those less confident in teaching are coupled with/put into a group with those comfortable who are speaking in front of a class.
Second term and third term
Students are given a lesson plan each week, and on the Wednesday are expected to have read through it, so that they know what they are teaching, and ask the teaching staff about any problems that they have with the lesson plan. They are also expected to bring any resources (such as toys, pictures of the alphabet etc) that are needed for the lesson plan. They then practise their lesson plans in the morning with their teachers and classmates, to gain confidence.
Local schools on tea estates and surrounding areas provide classrooms for the classes to go ahead.
- Children of primary school age who live in the poorest villages and Tea Estates surrounding Maskeliya
- Children whose families are unable to afford English lessons but are committed to their children's education
- All ethnic/religious groups, boys and girls
Who is responsible for concept and running of the Maskeliya Community English Programme?
At present 706 children (as of May 2011) have been registered in 7 government schools located on tea estates across Maskeliya
The programme is free, but each child must buy the course book (Rs 150/- approximately 80p) that accompanies the programme.
If you would like more information about the Maskeliya Community English Programme, please email us as info@tealeaftrust.com