Events

British Council partners HSBC and Ministry of Education host award ceremony

The British Council, in collaboration with HSBC and the Ministry of Education, held an Awards Ceremony on February 24, to commemorate the completion of the English Communication Skills for Remote Delivery Project (ECSRD) 2025. The ceremony was attended by over 300 teachers and mentors and certificates were awarded to 279 teachers and 51 mentors from the Regional English Support Centres (RESCs) island-wide. Launched in 2022, the ECSRD Project aimed to enhance the quality of English language education in Sri Lanka, with a special focus on rural areas. By strengthening teachers’ ability to develop and assess listening and speaking skills,the initiative ultimately supports students’ future employment prospects and career ambitions. The programme provided secondary English language teachers with practical training on how to better integrate speaking and listening activities into their classroom practice. It also equipped them with strategies to leverage the English language school textbooks more effectively for developing these skills. Since the project’s inception in 2022, 66 RESC mentors from 31 RESCs from all nine provinces in Sri Lanka have been trained to support teacher participants and additionally, 501 English language teachers have received specialised training to improve their ability to develop and assess students’ listening and speaking skills in the classroom. Director of Education (English and Foreign Languages) Nimali Baduraliya Ministry of Education Sri Lanka said: “This Project has helped to improve assessing listening and speaking skills of English teachers in secondary schools. Teachers have benefited through the project and the improved methodology of the teachers will enhance the students’ listening and speaking skills.” HSBC Sri Lanka CEO Mark Surgenor stated; “We believe that education is the foundation of progress, and English language is a powerful tool for empowerment. Through our partnership with the British Council and Ministry of Education, we are proud to have supported teachers in upskilling their English language proficiency, enabling them to better guide and inspire students.” British Council Sri Lanka Country Director Orlando Edwards said: “T Orlando Edwards he British Council, together with HSBC and the Ministry of Education, is proud to see the very positive impact of the ECSRD Project.”

The ceremony was attended by over 300 teachers and mentors and certificates were awarded to 279 teachers and 51 mentors from the Regional English Support Centres (RESCs) island-wide.

Launched in 2022, the ECSRD Project aimed to enhance the quality of English language education in Sri Lanka, with a special focus on rural areas. By strengthening teachers’ ability to develop and assess listening and speaking skills,the initiative ultimately supports students’ future employment prospects and career ambitions.

The programme provided secondary English language teachers with practical training on how to better integrate speaking and listening activities into their classroom practice. It also equipped them with strategies to leverage the English language school textbooks more effectively for developing these skills.

Since the project’s inception in 2022, 66 RESC mentors from 31 RESCs from all nine provinces in Sri Lanka have been trained to support teacher participants and additionally, 501 English language teachers have received specialised training to improve their ability to develop and assess students’ listening and speaking skills in the classroom.

Director of Education (English and Foreign Languages) Nimali Baduraliya Ministry of Education Sri Lanka said: “This Project has helped to improve assessing listening and speaking skills of English teachers in secondary schools. Teachers have benefited through the project and the improved methodology of the teachers will enhance the students’ listening and speaking skills.”

HSBC Sri Lanka CEO Mark Surgenor stated; “We believe that education is the foundation of progress, and English language is a powerful tool for empowerment. Through our partnership with the British Council and Ministry of Education, we are proud to have supported teachers in upskilling their English language proficiency, enabling them to better guide and inspire students.”

British Council Sri Lanka Country Director Orlando Edwards said: “T Orlando Edwards he British Council, together with HSBC and the Ministry of Education, is proud to see the very positive impact of the ECSRD Project.”

The ceremony was attended by over 300 teachers and mentors and certificates were awarded to 279 teachers and 51 mentors from the Regional English Support Centres (RESCs) island-wide.

Source:Daily News