The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has issued a new circular (ED/15/03/07/01) dated February 12, 2026, outlining a series of mandatory professional development programs to be implemented by all Teacher Professional Development Centers across Sri Lanka.
The directive, signed by the Chief Commissioner of Teacher Education on behalf of the Secretary, aims to equip teachers with modern pedagogical skills and ensure they are professionally prepared for upcoming education reforms.
Focus on Untrained and Newly Appointed Teachers
A primary focus of the 2026 annual plan is the training and retraining of specific teacher groups who have not yet received formal orientation. These include:
- Untrained graduates, diploma holders, and volunteer teachers currently in the system.
- B.Ed. graduates from private universities who have received appointments but lack formal orientation.
- Teachers who trained at Colleges of Education during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022).
- Untrained lay and clergy teachers serving in Pirivenas.
- Any teacher who has not received a professional development opportunity in the last 10 years.
Integrating Modern Technology and Pedagogy
The Ministry is placing significant emphasis on aligning teaching methods with new educational reforms. Centers are required to conduct training on advanced methodologies such as:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education and the effective use of online resources.
- Project-Based and Inquiry-Based Learning.
- Blended and Interactive Learning models.
- Authentic and Conceptual Learning for better student understanding.
Research and School-Based Support
Beyond classroom training, each center is mandated to complete at least 10 educational research projects. They must also provide resources and evaluation support for School-Based Professional Teacher Development (SBPTD) and offer continuous feedback and monitoring of the teaching-learning process in schools.
Implementation Guidelines
To ensure quality, the Ministry has specified that programs must be conducted by the academic staff of the centers themselves, with external resources only permitted when necessary. For sessions involving languages other than a center’s primary medium, managers are encouraged to collaborate with neighboring centers.
| Letter in Sinhala | Click Here |
| Translation in Tamil | Click Here |
