Overseas School of Colombo: Learning for life

Thursday, 22 January 2015 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Overseas School of Colombo is the oldest international school in Sri Lanka. Established in 1957, it very quickly earned a reputation for providing quality education that went beyond the academic, encompassing all aspects of a child’s life. Philip Joslin, an eminent educationalist who has worked on many continents (in countries like Brazil, the United Stated of America, India, Japan, Indonesia and El Salvador to name just a few) took over as Head of School just about six months ago. Marketing and Development Officer Sarinda de Silva, who moved in to education from the garment sector, was appointed by Joslin shortly after he took over. Even though they have both been there under a year, Joslin and de Silva are effusive about the school.

In concordance with the school’s website tagline – ‘Sri Lanka’s truly international school’ - OSC proves to be international in every aspect. The student population comprises about 40 different nationalities, while the teaching faculty is made up of 11 nationalities. As Joslin observes, “Most of our students are Third Culture Kids, who have left their home culture, moved to Sri Lanka and developed their own mix of cultures that allows them to see the world as their home.” Even the parents reflect this internationalism, hailing mainly from the diplomatic circle, international business community and ‘donor’ society (groups that come into Sri Lanka from overseas and are involved in development activities). The school offers the International Baccalaureate Program, a truly international curriculum. In fact, this is the only school in the country to offer the IB, beginning with the Primary Years Program, through the Middle Years Program and into the IB Diploma Program. Alongside its international curriculum, the IB carries with it international recognition, allowing students access to national universities around the world. It has also embedded in the curriculum a core component of Theory of Knowledge (a course on philosophy and critical thinking), Extended Essay (a precursor to the undergraduate dissertation) and Creativity, Action and Service. The combination of the academic subjects and core components results in the moulding of inquiring, informative and caring young people.

However, as Joslin stresses, the school’s international-ness goes well beyond these traditional markers extending to the mindset of the school and its community. “We expect our students to scatter through the world and be successful wherever they are,” he explains. What facilitates this is a philosophy that focuses on the education of the whole child. To begin with, the class sizes are kept small - the allowed maximum students per class is 20, giving teachers the opportunity to provide individualised attention to each student. The teachers utilise an inquiry-based approach when teaching where, as Joslin explains: “Situations are set up in which students discover answers. “The school’s pastoral care system is very strong, based on a guided homeroom structure. Co-curricular activities are given equal prominence to academics. Students are involved in the performing arts - music, drama, visual arts and dance - from the primary right up to graduation. The school offers a variety of sports to its students - soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton and swimming - and the teams participate regularly in local and international competitions. OSC founded the Colombo Model United Nations Conference, hosting it each year. There are a whole range of community service activities and students give their time each week involving themselves in these. “This school teaches you about life and gets you ready for what the world has in store for you,” affirms de Silva, adding, “Our students are citizens of the world.” In more tangible terms, OSC boasts some of the best facilities in the country. Located in Pelawatte, this vast complex is, in the words of Joslin, “A purpose-built facility designed with an eye for nature.” All classrooms are air-conditioned and have Wi-Fi access. Among the multiple amenities are a very large double gym, pool, theatre, playing field and music rooms. IT is an integral part of the education process with the entire school running on the computer system and linked to the cloud. “The school wants every student to be tech-savvy and so IT is one of the main things we focus on,” says de Silva. The state-of-the-art facilities blend in with nature and the entire campus is lush and green. All the corridors are open to nature. The tall trees, colourful flowers and picturesque ponds give the premises a very homely feel. OSC has evolved rapidly during the last five decades and is now accredited as being one of the leading international schools in Sri Lanka. Joslin is very upbeat about the future, as they aim “to become a world class international school.” He adds: “Our school is a tremendous place to work in. I want to use that to leverage the provision of an excellent education for the students and create world leaders.”