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CHAPTER 03

‘Model Preschools’ emerge like butterflies

he transformation needs to be seen to be believed. Like the emergence of an A huge issue in some areas has been an uninterrupted supply of water for general use
Texquisite butterfly exuding a delicate beauty, from an ordinary-looking caterpillar, and the toilets. Wherever there was no pipe-borne water, this need has been met by
preschools scattered across the country have transformed from what they were to digging a tube well, from which water is pumped to tanks and distributed by a network
what they are now due to Piyawara. of pipes to the preschool.

What they were before can only be imagined through sepia-tone photographs which It is a usual day of activity and play at Jaffna’s Pillai Kaniyamutham Preschool of the
reveal all. What they are now, vibrant hubs of nurturing and fostering in keeping with Municipal Council (MC) in the north, mirroring what is taking place around the
scientific thinking on Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), is obvious. country whether it is Anuradhapura’s Daham Pahana Preschool; Bogaswewa’s remote
Salalihini-gama Preschool; the Gomare Preschool facing the mist-shrouded Knuckles
Four-classroom ‘Model Preschools’ under Piyawara in urban areas have all the facilities Mountain range off Kandy; the Badulla Preschool on the boundary of the racecourse;
and amenities for the tiny tots. These include a teachers’ office, sickroom, four toilets, the Matale and Kantalai Preschools, both set amidst pastoral scenes; the Ratnapura
a pantry and a play area in each. The Hemas Group has built or refurbished 23 such Preschool in a scenic setting; the Tissamaharama Preschool adjacent to the quiet-
model preschools in towns followed by ‘Community Preschools’ in remote villages to flowing Walawe Ganga; or the Ambalangoda Preschool overlooking a playground.
coax rural children to access ECCD.
Smartly-clad in their dark green shorts or skirts and yellow T-shirts, the children
Both model and community preschools as well as their outdoor play areas are fully- arrive at the Jaffna Preschool, like Anuradhapura’s little ones in yellow and purple or
equipped with colourful furniture, educational tools and instructive toys by the Hemas Salalihini-gama’s tiny tots in beige and maroon.
Group, making them not only ‘child-friendly’ but also ‘stimuli for learning’ to meet
international and national standards. The preschools in Jaffna and Anuradhapura being in busy towns, some children come
on foot, others are brought as pillion riders on bicycles, motorcycles or scooters or by
The Piyawara preschools are positioned in wide and varied areas such as remote, rural, trishaw and a very few by car.
urban and amidst bustling cities and also the 3 regions distinguished by elevation –
the coastal belt, the plains and the highlands, falling under the Dry or Wet Zone. There is, however, a stark contrast in Salalihini-gama, with its settlements as recently
as 2013. About 22km from Vavuniya town, this village is set in arid conditions as dry as
dust with a severe lack of water brought on by droughts, where the struggle for survival
is a battle being waged by the adults daily.

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