Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education January 2018 Loyola Campus Sri Lanka 04 February 13 February 22 February 23 February 28 February -The Independence Day of Sri Lanka -Mahasivarathri Day -Fr General s visit to Loyola Campus Vavuniya -JCSA Members visit to Loyola Campus Mannar -Fr General s visit to Mullaitivu -Fr General s visit to Loyola Campus Trincomalee -Release of the edited book Educate, Empower & Transform -Release of Loyola Campus Magazine -Directors monthly Zoom meeting 2
2018 Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education Student Statistics January 2018 Student intake for different Academic & Professional courses across Loyola Campus & JWL Sri Lanka Total student intake at different locations for Academic & Professional Courses 3
Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education January 2018 After the Christmas holidays, Loyola Campus - Mannar commenced for the New Year on 3 January 2018. Due to a number of considerations and the betterment of the students, the Centre decided to extend the duration of September-December 2017 batch for a period of another three weeks. Although the exams for the students were scheduled during the first week of January 2018, the exams were conducted only during the last week of January. The new batch of students commenced from 3 January 2018. Solomon Raj SJ conducted a half-day orientation programme for the new batch of students on 14 January 2018. The session included an input and a number of activities and games to make the students feel more comfortable and at ease with the new learning environment. Having conducted the placement test, the students were divided into two levels of the Cambridge Unlimited Syllabus: Elementary and Pre-Intermediate. The Diploma in English offered by Loyola Campus- Mannar also continues. The Diploma students have progressed to the intermediate level in Cambridge Unlimited English. Loyola Campus- Mannar warmly welcomed Sr Britta Müller-Schauenburg belonging to the Congregation of Jesus. She is from Germany and she is in Sri Lanka as part of an exposure programme among the Loyola Campus- JWL students in Mannar. The Centre always attempts to provide the best quality education for the students and an educative experience that can transform their lives. In this regard one of the major challenges the Centre faces is the irregularity of the students who are yet to complete their GCE Ordinary Level practical exams. Since the exams are schedule during 21-24 February, the Centre has taken a number of measures to accommodate the students and provide opportunities to continue the course. 4
2018 Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education During the first week of January, Loyola Campus was busy with preparations for the admission of new batch, which was scheduled to commence on 8 January 2018. The day was one of excitement and joy as the students who enrolled for the courses showed greater interest and dedication in learning. The placement test for the students who enrolled were conducted on 8 January. Approximately 40 students attended the placement test on 8 January. The final list of students indicating the level where they were placed was displayed soon after. Normal classes began from 9 January 2018. The students who enrolled later completed the placement exams in the coming days. Earlier the teachers had shifted the library to the hall in upstairs with the help of past students to facilitate better use. The staff felt that the students of the previous batch had not used this learning resource sufficiently. We have also made arrangements to display the newspapers in the same hall for easy access for students. Prior to the commencement of the classes the staff had an extensive discussion on the procedure during the upcoming enrollment of the students. The meeting that lasted for almost two hours helped the staff clarify certain important areas of enrollment and placement process. Another follow-up meeting was held during the third week of January. 5
Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education January 2018 January, the first month of the year 2018 was a grace filled one. Loyola Campus began the year with the final examination for September December 2017 batch of students. The exam was held from 8-9 January 2018. All those students who wrote the exams got through the exam. The center feels very proud of the students and encourages them to continue their learning process. The admission for the year 2018 batch started from 2 January onwards. There were number of students who registered for both English and Computer applications and a few number of children for Sinhala course. Lalithakumar Selvarasa who was a Facilitator at the Centre discontinued his tenure due to personal reasons. He had been a strong support for the Centre. After having searched, the Centre has employed Subjini Nelson as the new computer Facilitator. There are about 37 students who have opted for Computer applications, 7 students for English course and 5 students for Sinhala course. Despite healthy enrolment, a big number of students who registered for the English course have dropped out due to a number of reasons. One of the reasons has been the pending GCE O/L practical exams in February. 6
2018 Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education Loyola Campus- Trincomalee has begun the new year new energy and positive spirit. Under the guidance of Aniston Morais SJ, Loyola Campus always attempts to excel in providing a transformative education for the students. The facilitators remain committed to the vision of Loyola Campus. The first batch of student at Loyola Campus- Trincomalee from September- December completed the course with lots of satisfaction for both the Centre and the students. While the students expressed their joy in acquiring new skills, the Centre and the Facilitators too felt the same. The exams for this batch of students were held on 10 January 2018. Parents show greater interest in admitting their children to Loyola Campus. They are quite pleased with the overall formation that the Centre provides to its students. While excelling in skill accumulation and proficiency, Loyola Campus has assisted the students in becoming better human beings. Due to this reason, the students and the parents have developed a special affiliation to the Centre. The new batch of post GCE Ordinary Level students commenced on 8 January 2018. As expected a large number of students enrolled for the courses. From January 2018, Loyola Campus introduces the Computer Application Assistant course which was discontinued for a long time due to the lack of resources. This has also provided a valuable opportunity for the students. Having conducted the placement tests, the facilitators divided the students according to the level of their knowledge. This assist in better helping the students to study. 7
Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education January 2018 Loyola Campus Hatton started the new year 2018 with enthusiasm and hope. The campus is full of boys and girls mostly those who have just completed their GCE Ordinary Level exam. They bring a lot of joy and desire in learning English and computer skills. More than 60 boys and girls have enrolled for the courses at the moment. They remain faithful to the classes and the timetable. Unlike the previous batch most of the students who have enrolled in January 2018 come from the tea estates. The Centre s efforts in visiting estate schools and parishes for recruitment have yielded good results. The placement test for the new batch was conducted on 8 January. To our surprise there were already 30 students who sat for the placement test on the first day itself. Gradually more students started coming. The inauguration of Loyola Campus- JWL English classes at Abotsligh School was held on 22 January. The classes will be conducted for Grade 9 students. Around 60 students along with their English teachers participated during the inauguration. Grade 9 students had their placement test on the same day. Later they were divided into two classes. The classes at this school will be for two hours a day and three days a week. Five diocesan priests from Tamil Nadu, India visited Loyola Campus Hatton on 24 January. Their visit was primarily for a feasibility study of assisting the war affected Tamils. The Director requested them to address the students. They motivated the students in acquiring important skills that can bring them better economic and life opportunities. 8
2018 Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education Loyola Campus- Batticaloa commenced its operation in January 2018 with the enrolment of the post GCE Ordinary Level students. A planning meeting among the representatives of Loyola Campus Country Office and the Director and staff of Loyola Campus- Batticaloa was held on 19 December 2017. The meeting provided a useful space in finalising a number of crucial tasks prior to the commencement of the course in Batticaloa. The Centre started the new year on 8 January 2018 with 55 students (40 O/L students and 15 A/L students). At the beginning of the course, an orientation programme was arranged to better incorporate the students to Loyola Campus learning environment. The one-day orientation programme hoped to enhance the interest of students in learning English language. Approximately 90 students sat for the placement test. It was a new experience for many students. Having completed the placement exam, the students were divided into three level of class: Elementary, Pre- Intermediate and Intermediate. The Centre organised a beginner s class in English at 7.30 am for the students. Students who do not have a Basic English knowledge will benefit a lot from the class. The Centre has renovated two old class rooms. It will be extremely useful in conducting classes. Moreover, the students have helped in cleaning the surrounding areas and the garden of Loyola Campus. The Centre looks forward to recruit new Facilitators in order to increase the quality and service that Loyola Campus hopes to render. Maintaining trained and qualified staff will definitely determine the quality of education that is provided to the students. This will remain a priority for Loyola Campus. 9
Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education January 2018 Loyola Campus- Mullaitivu began its operations from January 2018. The absence of a Director at the Centre in January has not halted the programme in Mullaitivu. Milroy Fernando SJ, the Country Director and the Superior of Wanni Jesuit mission, oversees the operation of Mullaitivu until 1 February, until the new Director of the Centre is expected to take over the responsibilities. A number of preparatory work had commenced already in December 2017. The house which is used for academic purposes was refurbished. One more important task that was completed was the advertising of the establishment of Loyola Campus and the courses offered among the students from various schools, villages and Catholic parishes. A number of meetings with the principals, teachers and the parish priests had yielded a good response from the students in attending classes at Loyola Campus. Music and dance classes for children had commenced from December 2017. English classes for students awaiting GCE ordinary Level exam results are expected to commence from the first week of February. There is a healthy number of students who desire to study both English and Computer as these two subjects remain fundamental in their ability to progress in the future. Loyola Campus believes that its involvement in Mullaitivu to be extremely important due a number of consideration: the impact of war that devastated the district; poverty and malnutrition; drug abuse and prostitution; unemployment among youth from 16-26 years. Education becomes an effective platform in transforming the lives of youth in and around Mullaitivu and getting them engaged in the task of rebuilding their lives. 10
2018 Building a Just, Equal and Reconciled Sri Lanka via Higher Education Directors Meeting in KanDy Although Directors of Loyola Campus meet online every month to discuss and deliberate on issues pertaining to the operation of the Institute, almost after a period of seven months an in-person meeting was organised on 15 January 2018. On one hand it was a suitable occasion for stock taking of Loyola Campus operation since it commenced in 1 July 2017, and on the other hand planning for the year 2018. The Directors shared about the operation of their centres and gave a glimpse into what has gone into the development and stabilisation of each centre. Also concerns and challenges of the centres were also discussed. Since the Directors coming from different parts of Sri Lanka had adopted various strategies in their operation, the sharing become quite resourceful and informative. The representatives of the Country Office briefed about the Institute s overall functioning. Loyola Campus calendar for the year 2018 was finalised. The final session was moderated by Benedict Savarimuttu SJ, who gave an input on SWOT analysis and assisted the Directors in evaluation the strengths and weaknesses of each Centre. Book Launch Loyola Campus considers the production and dissemination of knowledge as a key factor in institute s contribution towards reconciliation and peacebuilding that will pave the way towards shared prosperity and economic benefits for all Sri Lankans. For the past couple of months Loyola Campus has been working on an edited book that studies the nexus between reconciliation, peacebuilding and education. The edited book titled Educate, Empower and Transform will be launched by Very Reverend Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ on 23 February 2018. Education is one of the key factors for promoting peace and reconciliation. It is important to recognise that the relationship between education and violent conflict is highly complex and that education systems can be both victim and perpetrator of war and conflict. Sri Lanka s aspiration to rise from the conflict depends on how skilled and versatile its people are for analysing and resolving conflict as well as promoting peace within their communities. Moreover, the higher education systems in post-conflict states have the potential to contribute towards more effective postwar reconstruction and recovery. 11