Only 6,000 out of 34,000 pre-school teachers are diploma holders: Susil

14 May 2024 12:25 pm Views - 813

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Parliament, May 14 (Daily Mirror)- Education Minister Susil Premajayantha revealed today that only 6,000 out of 34,000 pre-school teachers and assistant teachers in Sri Lanka are diploma holders.

He told Parliament that there are 18,800 pre-schools in Sri Lanka and it is a serious matter that most of the teachers and assistant teachers are not diploma holders.

Responding to a question by SJB MP Hesha Vithanage, he said it is wrong to use even the terms Montessori and pre-school and that the correct term should be Early Childhood Development Centres.

The Minister said in developed countries such as the US and Japan, top priority in education is given to Early Childhood Development as it is the most important stage of the child’s education.

He said a UNICEF report has revealed that 20 percent of the children who should receive pre-school education have no access to it.