Our English Teaching and Childcare projects contribute to the UN’s sustainable development goal number 4 – Education. Having the ability to speak English is a valuble tool, especially for career prospects and achieving future goals. Therefore, the community based teaching projects dramatically improve future opportunities available for young
people in Sri Lanka.
The ability to speak English is becoming of growing importance in Sri Lanka. The two main sources of income in Sri Lanka are from tourism and migrant workers going to the Middle East. Both occupations require the ability to speak English. However, the level of English teaching in government schools is limited. Class sizes are large and the teachers’ English speaking skills are by no means perfect. The are similar issues with the government preschools where they can lack basic resources and be overcrowded. Meaning children can miss important building blocks in their early years.
The presence of our volunteers at a local preschool gives young children the unique opportunity to be exposed to the English Language from a young age. In turn, it builds their confidence and can be their foundation for learning English in the future. Something which can improve the opportunities and prospects for these children later on in life. For the older children we offer free after school English tuition which is lead by English speaking volunteers.
Our support at preschools enable a safe environment for children aged 1-4 years old to enjoy early years education and development. Subsequently, this allows parents to work and earn an income, generally in local cinnamon or garment factories, in order to provide for their families. The additional English lessons provide a creative and engaging medium for local children to learn a valubale skill which they can utilise for the rest of their life. Our main aim is to help encourage and care for these children, providing them with the opportunity to boost their confidence and to help maximise their potential.
