AMERICAN MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL TEACHER TRAINING

PARTICIPANTS OF A PUBLIC SEMINAR
ORGANISED BY THE COLOMBO MONTESSORI
TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE WITH COLOMBO JAYSEES
AND UNICEF. LATE MRS. JOYCE GONASEKERA WHO IS
ONE OF A PIONEERS IN MONTESSORI EDUCATION IN
SRI LANKA ALSO A PARTICIPANT IN THIS SEMINAR
(SECOND IN THE FRONT RIGHT CORNER).

GROUP OF TEACHER TRAINEES WITH THEIR
LECTURERS (MRS.KUMUDU THALAKIRIYAWE
AND MRS. PEARL SAMARAKOON).
(1992)

                 ABOUT COLOMBO MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE
                   (American Montessori International Affiliated Montessori International Teacher Training Programmes)
Colombo Montessori Teacher Training Centre was established by a group of dedicated Montessori Teachers.
Mrs Chandra Alagiyawanna a direct student of Dr. Maria Montessori and Professor Priyani E Soysa were among
distinguish founder members of the Institution. In 1983 centre was reorganized under Mr. & Mrs. Thalakiriyawe. Mrs. Thalakitriyawe
who has just qualified from AMTI U S and subsiquently from St. Nicholas College London. St. Nicholas College London is one of the first
Montessori Instituions established by Dr. Maria Montessori. Aslo Mrs. Thalakiryawe was especially trained by Mrs. Chandra
Alagiyawanna and Mrs. Joice Gunasekara who were Direct students of Dr. Maria Montessori. Before the restructuring the Colombo
Montessori Teacher Training centre, Mr. Thalakiryawe went through many local Montessori training instituions to compare the training in
Sri Lanka and other paerts of the world. the Montessori Method of Education With in a very short period the institution gained
recognition among Sri Lankan and international community. The Colombo Montessori Teacher Training Centre Received her Registration
Certificate under the Tertiary and vocational Education ACT NO 20 OF 1990. Colombo Montessori Teacher Training Centre was one of the
first educational institutions that received certification from Vocational Education Commission after the Commission was formed. Original
purpose of forming the Vocational Education Commission was to recognize privet and state educational institutions which were
maintaining high standards of educational ethics and curriculum and to grant certification for such institutions. The Vocational Education
Commission is an independent body which maintained high standard of independent assessments. At the beginning the Commission was
free from politics and other influences. Colombo Montessori Teacher Training programs became very unique due to the reason that the
programs were incorporated with the research work done in the field of Montessori Education. The first inaugural
training lecture was given by Miss Joyce Gunesekara who was a direct student of Dr. Maria Montessori. Lectures
were commenced at Bishop's College after restructuring the organization under Mrs. Thalakiriyawe. Subsequently
the training lectures were conducted at Methodist College Colombo. In the year 2000 the Colombo Montessori
Teacher Training was relocated at Florida College International, 42   College Avenue ., Mt. Lavinia.

A SWEDISH TEAM OF
PRESCHOOL RESEARCHERS
CONDUCTED A JOINT
SEMINAR WITH COLOMBO
MONTESSORI TEACHER
TRAINING CENTRE IN 1988 -
THE TEAM PRESENTING THEIR
SEMINAR WORK TO MRS.
THALAKIRIYAWE BEFORE THE
PRESENTATION.

EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR
TO THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
AWARDING DIPLOMA CERTIFICATE
TO THE QUALIFIED GRADUATES IN
AN AWARD CEREMONY HELD IN
BMICH IN 1988.
DIPLOMA GRADUATES RECEIVE
THEIR AWARDS FROM MR. JAMES
W. SPAIN AMBASSADOR AMERICAN
EMBASSY SRI LANKA

Part of the participants
of the seminar held at
BMICH among them,
Former Lake House
Chairman Mr.
Bodinagoda, former
SLBC chairman Mr.
Livy Wijemanna
Second row - Mr &
Mrs.Kiwiratne and a
team of
representatives from
Wescaras University
attended the seminar.

A experimental drama - staged on a professional
stage (Lionel Wend Theater) with professional
features, not with professional actors and
actresses but with children under 5 years of age.
They performed professionally, vibrating the hearts
of spectators and media reporters. This children
were trained with love. Children were free on the
stage acting beautifully without any outside
directions. They all acted according to a command
of a music and the dialogs came to their mouths as
they heard the command of the music. These
children enjoyed acting as well as they began to
appreciate the art and beauty in drama. Music was
the main media used to train these children.

AN AWARD
CEREMONY WAS
HELD IN BMICH IN 1988

HONORABLE MINISTER OF
POWER & ENERGY LATE
MR. CHANDRA BANDARA
AWARDING A DIPLOMA
CERTIFICATE TO A
STUDENT IN AN AWARD
CEREMONY HELD IN 1991
LEFT TO RIGHT - A
GRADUATE AND MRS.
THALAKIRIYAWE
GENERAL DIRECTRESS OF
COLOMBO MONTESSORI
TEACHER TRAINING
CENTRE. LATE
HONORABLE MINISTER
CHANDRA BANDARA

FIRFAX UNIVERSITY NEW
ORLEANS SIGNED AFFILIATE
AGREEMENT IN 1987.
PICTURE LEFT TO RIGHT -
MR. RANJITH
THALAKIRIYAWE DIRECTOR
GENERAL COLOMBO
MONTESSORI TEACHER
TRAINING CENTRE PRESIDENT
FAIRFAX UNIVERSITY DR.
ALENE JONES. DR.C. CLARK -
FAIRFAX UNIVERSITY

MR. RANJITH THALAKIRIYAWE
DIRECTOR GENERAL COLOMBO
MONTESSORI
TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE
PRESIDENT FAIRFAX UNIVERSITY
DR. ALENE JONES. DR.C. CLARK -
FAIRFAX UNIVERSITY

About Fairfax University Affiliation
Fair fax University was established by a group of British academics in 1986. It was the same time The Colombo Montessori Teacher Training Center
reorganized and commenced lectures at Bishop’s College Colombo 3. Colombo Montessori Teacher Training Center was offered affiliation to Fairfax
University in 1987. Affiliation agreement was signed in England for mutual benefits. Dr. E Brazil (Head of Psychology Department University of
Birmingham) and Dr. C. Clark ( Head of N England Polytechnic Institute) was appointed by Fairfax University to develop teacher training programs,
and administration programs with us. Fairfax University main location was in New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally the University was formed to offer
Distance Educational programs. The University was working towards National Accreditation. At the beginning it had a vision and was strong with
some able academics. After some time the University Changed her policies and lost her prestige. Educational degree programs and management
programs that we agreed to commence in Sri Lanka never materialized. We were holding our affiliation until year 2000 but we never commenced
their programs in Sri Lanka though we mentioned the affiliation in our documents and in our web site. We continued to offer our own programs
which is now an internationally accepted curriculum without the Affiliate having anything to do with. We maintained high standard of quality in our
programs and gained National and International recognition. We have grown strength to strength without any thing to do with Faifax University.
Fairfax University lost her registration as a university in the Sate of Louisiana in 2005. Some of our old documents you will find that we have
mentioned link to Fairfax University affiliation. Please be aware that our Montessori Teacher Training programs are not affiliated to Fairfax
University any more.

HIS EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR -
AMERICAN EMBASSY SRI LANKA MR. JAMES W.
SPAIN ADDRESSING THE DIPLOMA
GRADUATES (1988)

THE PUBLIC SEMINAR HELD BY COLOMBO
MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE
JOINTLY WITH UNICEF ORGANISATION AND
COLOMBO JAYCEE'S in 1993. The main object was
to educate the public on children's   rights. Picture
left to right Mrs. Kumudu Thalakiriyawe, The Chair
person of   Colombo chapter, Country
representative of UNICEF Sri Lanak standing is
Miss Iresha Jayaratne who is the chair person of the
program. Mrs. Kumudu     Thalakiriyawe, UNICEF
Repersentative and many others addressed the
public to educate   in the area of children's rights.
(1993)

GROUP OF TEACHER TRAINEES WITH THEIR LECTURER
COURSE DIRECTRESS MRS. KUMUDU THALAKIRIYAWE (1988)

Colombo Montessori Teacher Training

THE PUBLIC SEMINAR WAS HELD BY COLOMBO
MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE
JOINTLY WITH UNICEF ORGANISATION AND
COLOMBO JAYCEE'S in 1993. The main object was
to educate the public on children's   rights. Picture
left to right Mrs. Kumudu Thalakiriyawe, The Chair
person of   Colombo chapter, Country
representative of UNICEF Sri Lanak standing is
Miss Iresha Jayaratne who is the chair person of the
program. Mrs. Kumudu     Thalakiriyawe, UNICEF
Repersentative and many others addressed the
public to educate   in the area of children's rights.
(1993)

EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR
WAS THE CHIEF GUEST IN THE
DIPLOMA AWARD CEREMONY
HELD IN 1988

GROUP OF TEACHER TRAINEES WITH THEIR
LECTURER MRS.KUMUDU THALAKIRIYAWE
STUDENTS FROM 1984, 85 & 86 BATCHES

AN AWARD
CEREMONY
WAS HELD IN
BMICH IN 1987

AN AWARD
CEREMONY WAS
HELD IN BMICH IN 1992

Light for the future generation

In the Picture
Left. - MR. JAMES W. SPAIN
ADDRESSING THE
DIPLOMA
Middle - Professor Priyani
Soysa
Right - Mr. Ranjith
Thalakiryawe

In the Picture
Left. to Right -Professor Priyani Soysa, Mr.
Ranjith Thalakiryawe
MR. JAMES W. SPAIN, Mrs. Thalakiriyawe