Vavunia: A top official of Sri Lanka’s education department has appealed Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to continue its works in the war-affected areas of the island nation.
The plea came as the Rome-based international non-profit organization plans to exit from Sri Lanka by the end of this year.
“JRS has become the symbol of hope for our children. It has encouraged them to study,” said Jeya Thambiah, director, Early Childhood Development Unit of Ministry of Education, while presiding over a certificate awarding ceremony.
Some 190 people working under the JRs teacher training program attended the function on June 25 at Vavunia, a prominent Catholic center in the diocese of Mannar.
One of the major JRS works in Sri Lanka has been to run pre-schools for some 3,330 children in north and east provinces.
The training program was conducted during February and June with classes on just two days a week. It was held in Mannar, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Mullaithevu, four divisions in north and east provinces.
Thambiah recalled her long years of association with Church people. She said she was surprised to learn about “the exit policy” of JRS. She pleaded that the JRS continue its “Good Samaritan work” in Sri Lanka.
The function was held at Rambaikulam Girls’ National School Auditorium. Jesuit educators defined pre-school teachers as “second teachers” after parents who they consider as “first teachers.” The formative dimension is “great and challenging” and it very much lies in the hands of “second teachers”, stressed the motivation talk.
Pre-school teachers work in 104 schools in all four divisions. Nimal Everesta Perera, a program director, said the teachers get around 9,000 Sri Lankan rupees. The JRS and the government share the expenses.
Pushpa Rani, who has been working JRS for the past 15 years, said the program brought joy of hope and happiness to the teachers. She works in “Gnana Pre-School” in the Mullaitheevu division. She promise to maintain “the spirit of JRS ” even after the agency quits from her country.
Another pre-school teacher Sivakumar Sumanthi said that the JRS partially supports her in running the preschool. The government pays 4,000 rupees and JRS 5,000 rupees. She said the training taught her to “observe” students closely besides techniques and methodology that would assist her future carrier as a teacher.
The teachers put up an exhibition showcasing their “creativity, competence and compassion,” said Jesuit Father Dhiviyanandam, who was a judge for the exhibition.
Jesuit Father Alex Yagoo, JRS country director of Sri Lanka, said the training helped his teachers to gain insight, foresight and far-sight about teaching that would come to their aid in future.
The training program focused on pre-school mathematics, reading, speaking, rhymes and listening skills.
JRS began working in Jaffna, Mannar and other diocese from 1987. The region was wracked by killer tsunami on December 26, 2004. Decades of ethnic civil war that ended in 2009 killed and internally displaced thousands, said Jesuit Father S Thevarasa, a clinical psychologist, who works in Pope Francis Academy in Mannar.
Jesuit Father Richard Pitchai says JRS believes that investing in early childhood development program is” crucial to ensuring that children have a strong start in their personal and intellectual development.” He heads the Adampan Jesuit community, that was set up in the war-zone region.