Dialog ‘Nenasa Smart School’ program to transform 250 schools

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, announced its plans to launch the Nenasa Smart School initiative in presence of Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak. Under this initiative, Dialog Axiata in partnership with Ministry of Education intends to transform 250 smart schools with an online learning platform empowering teachers and students with modern learning tools.

The proposed initiative will expand Dialog’s existing commitment to develop the Sri Lankan education sector by digitising the classrooms. In 2008 Dialog gifted the nation the Nenasa Digital Television platform which connects over 2,000 schools via Dialog’s Satellite TV infrastructure. The Nenasa Digital Television initiative helps to bridge the urban-rural divide in the country’s education system and provides a high-quality educational experience to students across the island, in which Dialog has invested over Rs. 430 million to date.

Further, since 2003 the company provides merit based scholarships to students who excel in G.C.E Ordinary Level and Advanced Level Examinations through the Dialog Merit Scholarship Program conducted in partnership with Ministry of Education and Higher Education. To date more than 700 students have benefited from the Dialog Merit Scholarship programme, with a total commitment of more than Rs. 100 million by Dialog Axiata PLC. 

Ministry of Education Secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi, who also graced the occasion shared his sentiments by endorsing the initiative and commenting that it takes the Ministry of Education one step closer to its optimistic ambitions to transform learning. 

The ‘Nenasa Smart School’ digitisation initiative involves a transformation of the education eco system encompassing, teachers, students and learning methods. The Nenasa Smart School project aims to transform 250 schools and these will be equipped with Learning Management Systems, connectivity, and empowered ‘smart’ teachers and students. The Smart Schools project is aligned with global trends in Teaching with Technology (TwT) and Axiata Group’s focus on supporting the Sustainable Development Goal 4, ‘Education for All’. 

Commenting on the launch, Dialog Axiata PLC Group Chief Executive Supun Weerasinghe said, “Dialog’s business model is founded on the principle of inclusivity and the company is single minded in delivering its vision of empowering Sri Lankan lives and enterprises with the latest in technology and connectivity. The Digitised schools are already delivering promising results and it is both humbling and inspiring to receive positive feedback from students and teachers alike.”

Headstart Ltd. CEO Hasitha Dela added, “Through the roll out of this initiative, we hope to make a significant changein the way education is being consumed by teachers and students. Seeing the results so far, we look towards our shared vision of transforming learning through the use of digital technology and appreciate and thank Dialog for their continuous support and the confidence placed in us.”