The Stage 2 of the Skills Enhancement of Rural English Language Teachers (SERELT Stage 2) program commenced with a two-day residential Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop held on 19th and 20th June 2026 at the Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL) Campus, Bandaragama. The program was inaugurated with the participation of Mr. Anand Arasu, Deputy Director of Education of the Ministry of Education, Ms. Dilini Fernando, Head of Sustainability of HSBC Sri Lanka, Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of Sarvodaya and the Chairperson of SIHL, Dr. Romola Rassool, Director of the Postgraduate Institute of English (PGIE – OUSL), Training Facilitators from the PGIE and SIHL, and Teacher Trainers representing Kalutara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, and Nuwara Eliya districts.

The workshop equipped Teacher Trainers with the knowledge and practical skills required to deliver the SERELT curriculum, covering learner-centered English language teaching methodologies, assessment practices, translanguaging, child and adult safeguarding, innovative classroom approaches, and the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in education. A key highlight of this phase was the validation and introduction of the new Digital Literacy for Teaching (DLT) module, aimed at strengthening the digital competencies of educators and supporting effective technology integration in teaching and learning.

Facilitated by resource persons from PGIE, SIHL, and invited experts, the workshop marks an important milestone in the rollout of SERELT Stage 2. Through the program’s cascade model, the trained Teacher Trainers will go on to train and empower 200 Rural English Language Teachers across the five districts, ultimately reaching an estimated 15,000 school students.

This program is implemented by SIHL in partnership with PGIE, with the support of HSBC Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Education, SERELT continues to strengthen the quality of English language education in rural communities across Sri Lanka.