Expert committee appointed to restructure and upgrade National Colleges of Education

An expert committee has been formed to improve and reorganize the National Colleges of Education in Sri Lanka. The committee is led by Professor Liyanage Amarakeerthi from the Department of Sinhala at the University of Peradeniya. Other members are Senior Professor Arosha S. Adikaram from the Department of Human Resource Management at the University of Colombo, Professor P. Iyngaran from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Jaffna, and retired Senior Lecturer P.A.D. Anil from the Sri Lanka Teacher Educators Service. The committee's goal is to suggest ways to enhance the overall structure of the National Colleges of Education in line with the government's national education policy. This involves improving facilities and student support, and also strengthening governance, sustainability, learning environments, assessment methods, and the connection between teachers and students. The committee met with the Minister of Education and Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, on February 2 at the Ministry of Education to discuss their plans. During this meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of creating a supportive atmosphere in the National Colleges of Education to develop skilled teachers with strong leadership abilities. This is essential for achieving the government's education transformation goals. She further mentioned that these colleges are crucial for training teachers who ensure high-quality primary and secondary education. Therefore, she urged the committee to conduct a thorough review of all aspects of the colleges' structure, aiming to turn them into centers of excellence for teacher education in the future. The Prime Minister also directed the committee members to visit all National Colleges of Education to better understand the current conditions and provided guidance to help make the evaluation process successful.