Horizon Campus to upskill the country’s future educators for the new normal
View(s):The teaching profession has evolved tremendously to be identified as a multifaceted profession, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic posing many challenges for teachers, in adapting to the complex circumstances of teaching from home.
In order to meet the needs of educators post pandemic, Horizon Campus has launched the Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree, a contemporary qualification that is approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and the University Grants Commission, that has a comprehensive curriculum covering theory and practical experience.
Dr. Jayanthi Gunasekara, Dean - Faculty of Education of Horizon Campus
This four-year programme conducted in English, includes a professional component, which means this is not purely an academic programme, but is a two in one qualification, where the graduate obtains an academic and professional qualification simultaneously.
Dr. Jayanthi Gunasekara, Dean – Faculty of Education of Horizon Campus explaining details of the degree said that in Sri Lanka to be a teacher with professional qualification, one must obtain Postgraduate Diploma in Education after completing the degree.
With the Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree, he or she is ready with the necessary skills and competencies to take on a teaching job directly at any government, private or international school.
“We have three components in our degree, which are academic, professional and practical. Based on a student’s choice, the degree provides the necessary electives to help them specialise in their chosen subjects.
When they complete the degree, they will be proficient in any subject they choose, including English, Science, Maths, among other electives” the Dean said.
Another important feature of the Bachelor of Education Degree is that the undergraduates are skilled in child psychology, sociological and philosophical perspectives of education to ensure that they have the necessary professional competencies to understand and educate children.
During the four-year degree programme, the undergraduates get an opportunity to practice teaching at two phases in a school during 10 weeks.
During this period, they undergo training in a government or private school under the guidance of a mentor, so that they can obtain hands on teaching experience. The Degree also instils the necessary skills to help the students gain an understanding of classroom management.
Additionally, the undergraduates obtain necessary research skills in order to contribute to quality development in education.
“There is a huge opportunity for graduate teachers in Sri Lanka. Not only in Sri Lanka, but there is also a very high demand for English educated teachers outside the country, because the degree is conducted in English medium” Dr. Gunasekara added.
The three Bachelor of Education (Honours) degrees conducted by the Horizon campus, recognised by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission, include, Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree, Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree in physical science and Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree in biological science. After completing their B.Ed. (Honours) degree programmes students also have an opportunity to follow the Masters of Education (M.Ed.) at horizon campus.
Despite the pandemic and the successive lockdowns, Horizon Campus ensured that none of its students were negatively impacted by the restrictions and took steps to quickly convert the physical learning into virtual learning.
“We did not stop at any time, and even conducted end semester exams online successfully without any interruptions,” the Dean explained.
The campus has also taken steps to train undergraduates in online teaching so that they are geared to carry out teaching from home as and when the requirement arises.
Dr. Gunasekara further affirmed that “Teachers of the future have to think about the need for change in their role from being a source of information and knowledge to sources of energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurship coupled with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge base. This is what we are aiming to achieve through offering this to our country’s future educators.”
Horizon Campus, Knowledge City Malabe (KCM) is a triple accredited modern campus with an annual intake of over 2000 students who enrol for its study programmes for Local, UK, US, and Asian degree programmes. A total of 23 accredited degree programmes are offered under six faculties.
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