Experiential Learning

Teaching at Rural Schools in Sri Lanka

Background of Community Partner

Service Civil International Hong Kong China is a not-for-profit peace organisation based in Hong Kong with attachments to a global network of peace-building organisations. Through its network, various projects are organised and this programme is one of the main programmes offered to Hong Kong residents.

Inspire Village is the host in Sri Lanka who will host the programme and place participants in various schools, as well as making all the logistical arrangements such as accommodation, food, transportation and any other support needed in Sri Lanka.

Inspire Exchange Ltd. provides services on international travel arrangements, programme supervision and coordination.

Project Objectives

This project aims at enhancing cultural understanding and strengthening teaching skills among PDGE students, while providing much-needed English education to the rural schools in Sri Lanka.

Work Details

Students will be teaching at selected rural schools (mostly primary) six hours a day for five days a week, following a lesson plan created by students with the help of guidelines provided to them. In the case of school holidays during the programme period, students will be taught at Inspire Village where local children come to study English.

The primary schools located in remote villages get very little attention; hence, they lack basic resources. The government provides teachers, but there is a shortage of English teachers. Although everyone deserves quality education, rural village schools in Sri Lanka are isolated in many ways and fail to get attention from the outside world.

This project will provide such schools with an opportunity to learn from teachers from Hong Kong, especially improving students' English-speaking skills.

Date

Two sessions of the “Teaching at Rural Schools in Ski Lanka” project will be organised in 2025 (5-8 students per project):

Summer Holiday: 21 July to 11 August 2025 (7-8 days).
Christmas Holiday: 23 to 30 December 2025 (7-8 days).

(Exact dates and time to be confirmed.)

8 am to 2 pm school teaching time; 2 pm to 4 pm preparation time.
There will be study sessions, cultural activities, as well as reflection and supervision meetings during the programme.
Weekends are reserved for recreational activities, such as elephant safari and visiting places of interest.

Students are required to take part in compulsory preparation meetings with the SCI team in Hong Kong (meetings to be held on weekends or weekday evenings).

Location

Sri Lanka, North Central Province near the ancient city of Anuradhapura

Eligibility

PGDE (part-time) students majoring in English, Mathematics, Chinese, Science and Early Childhood Education are preferred but not limited as long as there is an interest in education.

Application

Interested students please submit the following documents through the HKU online application platform no later than 1 February 2025:

Your CV
A letter of motivation explaining why you are interested in taking part in an international programme outside of Hong Kong, including your previous experience in service learning projects or voluntary programmes
Please indicate which session of the project (Summer or Christmas) you are applying for in your letter of motivation.

If your application meets SCI Hong Kong China's requirements, you will be selected for an interview with SCI Hong Kong China. Details regarding the interview will be provided later.

Remarks

Students should be flexible and skilled in adapting to changing environments and situations. The project can be challenging unless you are skilled in facing unexpected situations and open-minded to accept cultural differences.
Students must possess valid travel documents and a visa for entry into Sri Lanka.
Study Abroad Programmes that are arranged by the University will be covered by the Corporate Business Travel Insurance Policy and the Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy for students. Please refer to the Finance and Enterprises Office for further information.
Students may apply for the Bursary Scheme for Experiential Learning to support the cost (up to HK$5,000 per application; non-merit-based).
Expected cost:
- Programme fee: 3,800 HKD (including accommodation, airport pick-up, local travel, food and coordination)
- Air ticket: 3,800 to 5,800 HKD
- (Extra sightseeing tour, e.g. elephant safari, is optional and not eligible for the EL bursary).

Project Keywords

English Teaching, Cross-cultural Education, Sustainability, Rural Education, International Development, Solidarity.

Enquiries

Ms. Pat Huang, Global Education Officer (SCI Hong Kong China) [Email: [javascript protected email address]]