Successful Digital Education depends on strong infrastructure, quality content, and Teacher Training — PM

Dr. Amarasuriya also pointed out the necessity of implementing digital training programs at the 20 National Colleges of Education that train teachers. She mentioned that training around 6,000 student teachers each year in digital technology could significantly improve the school system. During the meeting, it was announced that plans are underway to set up smart classrooms in 100 chosen schools. The first phase will see 50 schools outfitted, while the remaining schools will be addressed later. Representatives from Rotary International expressed their willingness to provide digital learning platforms to the government at no cost and help create educational content using modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). They also highlighted the need for a formal agreement between the government and the private sector to ensure the long-term success of these initiatives. Both sides discussed how to handle practical issues such as electricity costs and internet connectivity in schools as they roll out this process systematically. The Prime Minister also mentioned that a five-year plan for transforming the education system digitally will be completed soon and asked Rotary representatives to contribute according to the priorities set in the plan. The discussion included the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Additional Secretary A.B.M. Ashraf, officials from the Ministries of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, members of the Digital Task Force, and representatives from Creative Software and Cambio Software Engineering.