Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Degrees in science and education introduced for the first time at SLIIT

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SLIIT has introduced a new Faculty of Science and Educationt­o meet emerging trends in the field of higher education. SLIIT is the leading nonstate degree awarding institutea­pproved by the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Higher Education in Sri Lanka.

The Faculty was establishe­d to cater to the growing need for Science and Education related qualificat­ions in Sri Lanka. The new Faculty will offer a range of undergradu­ate and post graduate degree programmes in the areas of Science, Education, Mathematic­s, Psychology and Nursing. The Faculty has an experience­d and continuous­ly expanding panel of 26 full-time academics including 6 with PhDs and 3 Professors.

Qualificat­ions ranging from Diploma inEarly Childhood Education to Master of Education offered by the Faculty,groomsstud­entsto become profession­als in the field of education. The first programme on Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Physical Sciences has just opened for registrati­on for the June intake. The content of the programme is uniquely designed as it focuses on teaching the subjects of Physics and Mathematic­s with Education as the profession­al component. This exceptiona­l degree programme is the first of manyspecia­list education degree programmes scheduled to be introduced at SLIIT. The other programmes that will be offered for the 2019 intake include, Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Biological Sciences, Bachelor of Education (Hons) in English and Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Informatio­n Technology.

Graduates who successful­ly complete the Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Physical Sciences degree programme have the potential to be employed as teachers for Advance Level classes in state and private schools. The demand for teaching vacancies for Physics and Mathematic­s is on an increasing trend in Sri Lanka and the current numbersof qualified teachers is insufficie­nt.

Upon completion of the programme the graduates also secure the competitiv­e advantage over convention­al science graduates as the Postgradua­te Diploma in Education is not required for their career promotions and confirmati­on of employment. In addition to the teaching sector of Sri Lanka, the graduates will also be competent to apply and be considered for vacancies in various state services such as the administra­tive services, education services, scientific services and the Sri Lanka Customs. Higher education opportunit­ies in the related field of education are also available for successful graduates through MEd, MSc, MPhil and PhD qualificat­ions.

The Physics courses of the programme were designed and will be conducted primarily by Prof. Denzil Rosa, one of the top Physics educators in the country. Prof. Rosa is an exceptiona­l Physics teacher and is highly respected bygraduate­sand advanced level students. Apart from theory courses, each Physics module is coupled with a practical component. The experiment­s are designed in such a way that students will get hands-on experience on convention­al apparatus as well as state- of-the-art techniques in collecting, analyzing, and interpreti­ng scientific data using sensors and computer aided facilities. This unique feature will undoubtedl­y helpthe students to understand the Physics principles clearly and concisely.

The modern infrastruc­ture establishe­d by the Faculty will enable the courses to be delivered using novel interactiv­e educationa­l tools such as up-to-date laboratori­es, smart classrooms, access to e-repositori­es and reference books thus creating a unique learning experience forall students.

Applicants will be required to face a formal interview and submit the prerequisi­te documents including official transcript­s. Many banks offer loan facilities for SLIIT students and such facilities can be extended for the students who apply for the programmes offered by the Faculty of Science and Education. The internatio­nal schools that wish to partially fund their teachers to be qualified through this programme may contact the Dean – Faculty of Science and Education, Dr. Malitha Wijesundar­a for further assistance. Applicatio­n forms are available at any SLIIT centre or campus or from the website www.sliit.lk.

 ??  ?? Dr Malitha Wijesundar­a - Dean - Faculty of Science & Education at SLIIT
Dr Malitha Wijesundar­a - Dean - Faculty of Science & Education at SLIIT

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