The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has reached a milestone in its national initiative to propagate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Sri Lanka with the opening of the 150^th STEM classroom donated by the Bank.

The Bank’s Managing Director/CEO Mr Sanath Manatunge, Chief Financial Officer Mr Nandika Buddhipala, Deputy General Manager – Personal Banking Mr Delakshan Hettiarachchi and other representatives of the corporate and senior management participated in the event at the beneficiary school, Nagasena Vidyalaya, Kelaniya.

Commercial Bank’s STEM classrooms project commenced with a commitment by the Bank to equip 100 classrooms with the required IT facilities to deliver digitised educational content and to provide training to teachers, to commemorate the Bank’s centenary year, which was celebrated in 2020. The 100 schools were selected from nearly 250 schools to which Commercial Bank had by that time, donated IT Labs as part of a separate project to elevate IT literacy levels on a national scale.

Commercial Bank has now donated 298 IT labs and equipped 150 STEM classrooms across Sri Lanka, contributing significantly to modernising the country’s education facilities to match current needs and trends.

The Bank recently commenced a new project to promote science education in 50 schools in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Science Branch of the Ministry of Education. The three-year project is focused on science and mathematics education, inculcating an innovation culture at school level, developing science and communication skills, raising awareness on nationally-important issues, providing a platform to showcase talents and skills of students, creating awareness of the evolving job market and improving students’ mental health.

Commercial Bank was also a key partner in the national Smart Schools initiative where 165 schools were equipped with digital learning facilities. The Bank’s ‘Sipnena’ online portal contains digitised school curriculum content, complete with practical videos and presentations to facilitate easy learning for students.

Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon neutral bank and the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World, Commercial Bank operates a network of 271 branches and 957 automated machines in Sri Lanka. Commercial Bank is the largest lender to Sri Lanka’s SME sector and is a leader in digital innovation in the country’s Banking sector. The Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 20 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Microfinance company in Nay Pyi Taw; and the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake.

Photo caption: Commercial Bank Managing Director/CEO Mr Sanath Manatunge and Chief Financial Officer Mr Nandika Buddhipala declare open the 150^th STEM classroom donated by the Bank.