Following the successful completion of the Nuwara Eliya cohort under the SERELT (Skills Enhancement of Rural English Language Teachers) pilot programme in 2025, SERELT returned to the district for Stage 02 to reach a new group of Rural English Language Teachers and extend the programme’s impact in one of the most under-resourced regions in Sri Lanka. Building on the experience of the SERELT Pilot Programme, Stage 02 also introduces Digital Literacy for Teaching (DLT) as an essential area of teachers’ continuous professional development.

The district rollout of SERELT Stage 02 (Phase 1) took place in Nuwara Eliya on 11th September 2026, following the initial implementation in Kalutara and Hambantota. The Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL) and the Postgraduate Institute of English (PGIE – OUSL) teams, led by Dr. Romola Rasool – Director – PGIE, visited the Teacher Development Centre at Gamini Central College, Nuwara Eliya, for the commencement of the Stage 02 course and engaged with participating teachers. A total of 34 Rural English Language Teachers took part in the inaugural session.

As part of the Stage 02 implementation, the Digital Literacy for Teaching (DLT) module was also piloted with teachers in Nuwara Eliya, following its introduction in Kalutara and Hambantota. The module is designed as a practical self-learning resource to strengthen teachers’ digital competencies and support the effective and safe use of digital technologies in teaching and learning. The Nuwara Eliya session provided an opportunity to further validate the module in a different teaching context and observe how teachers engaged with its content and activities.

The experience from Nuwara Eliya, together with the earlier sessions in Kalutara and Hambantota, will contribute to the continued implementation of the DLT module and the SERELT Stage 02 Course in Ampara and Batticaloa, completing its planned implementation across all five SERELT Stage 02 districts.

As part of the programme’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) process, the SIHL team also conducted the baseline survey in Nuwara Eliya to establish a reference point for teachers’ starting competencies and experiences. With the rollout now progressing across three of the five districts, SERELT Stage 02 will next move to Ampara and Batticaloa in Phase 2, where the wider programme rollout and DLT implementation will continue.