Activities carried out in 2020

The first Evaluation Mission was carried out by the UNESCO Secretariat in January 2020 to identify progress and the way forward for SACTD. With the views of the Evaluation, the new Executive Director, Dr. Ranjith Kumarasiri, was appointed on 15^th July 2020, under whose leadership along with the assistance of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO (SLNCU) much development was made in the year 2020.

Thence, the Governing Committee of SACTD was formed and the inaugural meeting of the committee convened on 30^th July followed by the second and third meetings held on 14^th September and 12^th October 2020 respectively.

The Governing Committee Members at the Inaugural Meeting

With the guidance of the Governing Committee, four experts were appointed on 16^th November 2020 to design, develop and conduct/disseminate programs addressing Teacher Educators in the South Asian region.

From left to right: Prof. W. G. Kularatne (Consultant for Research on Teacher Development & Training), Mrs. Prasadini Dharmawardene (Consultant Curriculum Development & Text Book Writing), Ms. Ashwini Madanayake (Deputy Secretary General of SLNCU), Dr. Ranjith Kumarasiri (Executive Director of SACTD), Dr. P. N. Meegaswatte (Secretary General of SLNCU), Prof. Somasundaram Sandarasegaram (Consultant for Professional Development) and Dr. Sanath Jayasena (Consultant for Open Distance Learning and Repository Services).

Currently, SACTD is carrying out Need Assessment Surveys for Teacher Educators of National Colleges of Education, Training Colleges, Teacher Centers and Teacher advisors of Sri Lanka and working on the same to include other countries in the South Asian Region.

Activities carried out in 2019

The 2^nd Meeting of the Board of Management was held on the 27^th September 2019 Read More

Mission and Objectives

Mission

ASPnet aims to “construct the defences of peace in the minds” of its students, by placing UNESCO’s values and objectives prominently in the organization, lessons, projects and policies of the participating schools. It emphasizes the four pillars of education as defined in the Report to UNESCO of the International Commission of Education for the Twenty-first Century, Learning: The Treasure Within: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and, above all, learning to live together.

Objectives

1. ASPnet promotes the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution of UNESCO and the Charter of the United Nations, including fundamental rights and human dignity, gender equality, social progress, freedom, justice and democracy, respect for diversity and international solidarity.
2. It serves UNESCO’s mandate and key functions, namely to act as a laboratory of ideas, to strengthen international and regional cooperation, to develop institutional and human capacities and to contribute to developing policies and setting standards. ASPnet contributes to the laboratory function by pioneering innovative and creative pedagogies to translate global concepts into practices at the school level and to advance the transformation of education systems and policies. As a global network, it fosters cooperation, knowledge sharing and partnerships among like-minded schools around the world.
3. ASPnet intends to provide opportunities for its members to develop a sense of belonging to the global community. It also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015. ASPnet particularly focuses on target 4.7 of SDG 4 - Education 2030, on global citizenship education (GCED) and education for sustainable development (ESD).

ASPnet Member Schools

The Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO has chosen one hundred and fifty-eight (158) national schools from different districts to participate in this programme. Among these schools, twenty-five schools are officially certified by UNESCO.

Ananda College

Anula Vidyalaya

Ashoka Vidyalaya

Dedigama Parakumba Maha Vidyalaya

Devi Balika Vidyalaya

Diyathilaka Central college

G/ Saralankara Maha Vidyalaya

Gurukula Maha Vidyalaya

Isipathana Maha Vidyalaya

Karinagar Hindu College

Kuliyapitiya Central College

Maharagama National College of Education (Govrnment Training College)

Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya

Maliyadeva College

Medagama Maha Vidyalaya

Nalanda College

Nannapurawa Maha Vidyalaya

Prince of Wales College

Rathnawali Balika Vidyalaya

Sri Rahula College

Sri Sumangala College

Valvai Mahalir Maha Vidyalaya

Visakha Vidyalaya

Membership

Eligibility

Membership is open to all public or private schools and teacher training institutions recognized by national authorities. Both formal and non-formal institutions providing pre-primary, primary, secondary, technical or vocational education or teacher training are eligible.

Criterion

The main membership criterion is the voluntary commitment made by the school leadership and community to promote UNESCO’s values, ideals and work through:

1. using innovative and participatory methodologies and approaches,
2. providing safe, sustainable, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all their students,
3. interacting with schools in their own country and other countries.

Members must also commit to fulfilling the membership requirements listed below.

Requirements

Members must uphold UNESCO’s values and principles and perform a set of tasks satisfactorily to display and keep their membership status. The tasks are minimum standards set by UNESCO to assure quality in the operation and management of ASPnet and to guarantee that members contribute to the network, fulfilling its mission and objectives. These tasks are as follows:

1. submission of an annual work plan to the National Coordinator, with a description of the expected achievements;
2. submission of an annual report to the National Coordinator, using the template provided by National Coordinator;
3. participation, every school year, in at least one global or regional project, contest, or campaign proposed by UNESCO, or in a related national activity proposed by the National Coordinator;
4. celebration of at least two United Nations days, selected from the ASPnet calendar on OTA, involving the entire school community;
5. external display of a sign of ASPnet membership at the school, as instructed/provided by the National Coordinator (see section: Visual identity);
6. informing their school community about the ASPnet membership (through staff, parent and student meetings; posters; school website, etc.);
7. updating their information on OTA at least twice every year (contact data, school statistics and activities), if necessary with the help of the National Coordinator, another member or a partner.

Admission process

Schools that want to join ASPnet must apply online on OTA. The admission process is described in the figure below. If there are technical difficulties in submitting or processing admissions online, contact the National Coordinator or the National Commission. There is no admission fee, nor any membership fee to be paid by schools.

Certification

Membership is granted and certified exclusively by UNESCO, based on the recommendation received from the National Coordinator. UNESCO sends an electronic membership confirmation to the school and the National Coordinator. UNESCO also sends a signed original certificate to the National Coordinator for transmission to the new member. When certified, schools are included in the global UNESCO ASPnet Directory and receive from UNESCO a login and tutorial for the use of OTA. Only those schools officially certified by UNESCO are called ASPnet members.

Duration

Membership has a fixed duration of five years. Membership can be renewed for the same duration, as long as the required conditions are fulfilled. The main means of verification is the annual member’s report, which the National Coordinator may complement by visits or other monitoring and/or evaluation measures. UNESCO may also carry out selective monitoring exercises for quality assurance.

Renewal and termination

When a membership expires, the National Coordinator informs the member whether or not the required tasks were carried out satisfactorily and accordingly confirms the renewal to the member, or recommends that UNESCO terminate its membership. Meanwhile, a member can end its membership at any time by writing to its National Coordinator, who informs UNESCO. In both situations, UNESCO confirms the termination of membership to the member and its National Coordinator, and removes the member’s name from the global Directory.

Visual identity

The UNESCO Certificate given to members should be visibly displayed in the school. Members may also be given a poster, a sign or a flag with the ASPnet Members’ logo by their National Coordinator. Alternatively, or in addition, a mural or painting by the students could symbolize the school’s ASPnet membership. Members are entitled to the use of the ASPnet members’ logo in accordance with the rules and regulations of UNESCO (see Guideline on the ASPnet Logo Use).

Membership agreement

The submission of a membership application and its acceptance by UNESCO constitute a moral contract between the school and UNESCO, which is based on the school’s voluntary commitment to ASPnet’s mission and objectives and UNESCO’s recognition thereof.

Resource Material

All publications are available under ASPnet Publications in UNESCO Publications

1. A Guide for Teachers- Schools in Action: Global Citizens for Sustainable Development
2. A Guide for Students- Schools in Action: Global Citizens for Sustainable Development