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Educating Teachers to Help Children in Sri Lanka
Brian Hatchell, Press Officer, American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery Program
Friday, July 07, 2006 — COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—In the days and weeks following the December 2004 tsunami, the American Red Cross psychosocial support team visited dozen of schools in southern Sri Lanka to help children overcome their emotional trauma.
“Sometimes children don’t know they need to express themselves. They may struggle to process what has happened and may appear confused,” said Anjana Dayal, a psychosocial support expert with the American Red Cross. “The responsibility lies with parents, teachers and other adults to identify if a child is dealing with an issue and to find creative and expressive activities to help the child communicate their emotions.”
Dr. Jitu Lalchandani, an American Red Cross Psychosocial Support Education Specialist, explains to students at the Kalutara National Teachers College how to identify the signs of common stress reactions in children.
(Photo Credit: Brian Hatchell/American Red Cross)
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Because of the sheer number of students needing assistance in Sri Lanka, the American Red Cross began training teachers in Psychological First Aid (PFA). PFA training teaches people how to identify common stress reactions, how to help people express their concerns and how to listen, comfort and help people to cope with their emotions. In order for PFA to be effective, however, people need to have opportunities to express themselves, which is a relatively unusual concept for educators in Sri Lanka.
“Traditionally the education system in Sri Lanka has been teacher-focused, not student-focused,” said Mohamed Kamil, a student at the Kalutara National Teachers College. “Teachers were told to simply relate information to the students and not develop relationships with them.”
With the help of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, the American Red Cross approached the Ministry of Education to work in three teachers colleges in western and southern Sri Lanka. Over the next three years, the Psychosocial Support Program will train more than 2,200 teachers nationwide.
Dr. Jitu Lalchandani, a Psychosocial Support Education Specialist with the American Red Cross, has been working with hundreds of pre-service teachers at the Kalutara National Teachers College.
“In the beginning the teachers were skeptical about how PFA would help them and their students,” said Lalchandani. “But, over time many students started opening up about experiences from their past, some of which were very painful. Many students learned how expressing emotions can lead to healing.”
Sydney Jayawardhane, a student at the Kalutara National Teachers College in Sri Lanka, uses clay to encourage children to find creative ways of expressing their emotions.
(Photo Credit: Brian Hatchell/American Red Cross)
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One student at the Kalutara National Teachers College, Sydney Jayawardhane, is excited about becoming a teacher not for the salary or social status, but because he truly wants to make a difference in the lives of Sri Lanka’s children.
“When I was younger, my teachers would simply come into the classroom, teach and leave. There were no questions, no discussions and definitely no jokes or laughter. We were afraid to talk to the teacher,” said Jayawardhane. “But that will soon change, thanks to the American Red Cross.”
The Ministry of Education has been so impressed with the early results of the training that it has asked the American Red Cross to expand the training to all 17 teachers colleges across the country. By training teachers through the National Teachers College system, the American Red Cross is helping to leave an enduring impact on the children of Sri Lanka for many years to come.
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