Displaced kids to take the fast track back to school

By Wilson Gnanadass

Save the Children in Sri Lanka is supporting the Zonal Department of Education (ZDE) in Vavuniya to ensure that displaced children in the welfare centres get back to early learning activities.
The organisation that has provided similar support in the east has already provided educational material kits for 48 Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) teachers through the zonal education office, Media and Communication head of Save the Children Menaca Calyaneratne has said in a statement.
These teachers according to Calyaneratne are in seven transit welfare centres, namely, the Hindu College, College of Education, Poonthottam, Pambaimadu, Gamini, Nelukkulam and Chettikulam.
According to her the ECCD activities have been initiated in nine of the 12 welfare centres through identification and training of teachers and the participation of community.
She has further stated in the statement that discussions are ongoing for the provision of incentive payments to the ECCD teachers with the zonal education office.
A final list of the selected ECCD teachers has been completed by the ZDE Vavuniya South for payment of teacher incentives by last week, she has said.
After consultations with ECCD teachers and parents, around 1,060 packs of supplementary food have also been distributed to ECCD centres during last week ensuring that the children received mid-morning meals, Calyaneratne has said.