Teachers Training workshop at Hambanthota NDDCB Ministry of Health Ministry of Education
About programme The Preventive Education and Training Division of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), Sri Lanka, successfully conducted the Guru Shiksha Teachers Training Programme from 22nd to 24 September 2025 at the Ceylon Sea Hotel, Tangalle. This transformative initiative brought together 55 School Counsellor Teachers representing the Walasmulla Education Zone Hambanthota, with the aim of strengthening school based substance abuse prevention through creative pedagogy, psychological awareness, and emotional literacy. The programme was funded by the Mental Health Division of the Ministry of Health and fully supported by the Ministry of Education, which facilitated the participation of dedicated Counsellor Teachers.
What We Do It was monitored by Dr. Indika Wanninayake, Chairman of NDDCB, along with the Director General of NDDCB, ensuring strategic oversight and institutional alignment. The Preventive Education and Training Division carried full operational responsibility for planning, facilitation, and implementation. The programme was funded by the Mental Health Division of the Ministry of Health, which provided comprehensive financial support, including participant logistics, training materials, and all associated costs.
This transformative Teachers Training Programme is designed to equip educators with a sound psychological foundation for understanding and guiding student behavior. Grounded in Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the training emphasizes the importance of creating emotionally safe and motivating learning environments. Drawing from Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, participants will explore how attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation shape student behavior—especially in relation to risk-taking and substance use. The programme also introduces DARN CAT and Change Talk techniques from motivational interviewing, empowering teachers to engage students in sustainable, dignity-based conversations that foster selfawareness and positive decision-making.
