Discipline comes first for Overseas School of Colombo

Hiran H.Senewiratne

Sri Lankans have a huge advantage of learning English without forgetting their mother language, the Head of Overseas School of Colombo, Laurie McLellan said.

Speaking to the Expat ChitChat he said he believes education is a form of liberation that helps to give life purpose. Although education probably raises more questions than offering answers, the stimulus to think is fundamental and important for humankind.

For a young person’s education to be valuable and stimulating, one should experience the correct atmosphere to excel in school. He said Sri Lankan students should learn English as a language without neglecting their mother tongue.

International education offers the ideal situation for young people to grow, learn and enjoy together in an open and stimulating environment, he said.

How many students study in the school, what is the syllabus you follow for these students?

A:We have around 450 students in the school. 85 per cent of them are expatriates covering 47 different cultures. We have different segments of students, 40 per cent from children of expatriates’ families, 30 per cent from the diplomatic missions and 30 per cent from the NGO sector.

We don’t work with the national system and we follow the international Baccalaureate, which is an internationally recognised system. Access is assured to any international university in the world after completing education here. Unfortunately, Sri Lankan universities don’t recognise it.

As an international/overseas school with diverse cultures from different countries what is your main focus?

A: I think we have a broader focus to develop a full personality and to create critical thinkers for society. We want to build a strong global network to help our students make good allround persons with global networking abilities.

In our classrooms we have a small number of students and each one is equipped with a computer. Our students are connected with the local community.

The broad-based curriculum should allow for students to study not just language, mathematics, sciences and social sciences but also foreign languages, aesthetic subjects and physical education from within the extra curricular or enrichment programmes.

Apart from the classroom work what are the extra curricular and co-curricular activities in this campus?

A: We have a lot of extra curricular and co-curricular activities in the school.

Where the extra curricular activities are concerned we have a good school auditorium, a teaching theatre, music, acting and modern plays. Further we have community service projects such as the Children’s Cancer Hospital project.

Students are also involved in a lot of community service in the Sun Flower Village where they help physically handicapped students and we also allow them to use our swimming pool.

These are a few projects undertaken by our students and funds are generated through the parent society, road shows and car wash activities. We have a dog-sterilising project. We also sponsor the Wetland Conservation Project near the Talangama tank. We also have a swimming pool.

A fully-fledged gymnasium is under construction and we have basketball and many sports activities as well. I would say that discipline is integrated in our system and if anybody breaks it they have to face consequences.

What are the other activities your children are involved in?

A: Students are involved in many activities like photography and computer skill development activities.

Our older students run model United Nation Organisations and students are represented as delegates and they pass resolutions and forward them to the United Nations head quarters. Our students discuss global issues, children’s issues and global warming. More than 600 students participate in this.

What are the foreign languages taught at OSC?

A: Our medium of instruction is English and other languages we teach are French and Spanish. In our primary school every student gets an opportunity to learn about the Sri Lankan culture.

We celebrate all Sri Lankan festivals. My belief is that we all respect the country and the culture than the language. Moreover, English language skills are very important to go up in the corporate ladder in the business world.

What are the future expansion plans for the school?

A: At present our new gymnasium is under construction and we are now committed not to construct any building in the premises. We want our students to live with greenery and nature without being inside bricks and concrete jungles.

We want to remain small to be better focused on all the children.

You are in Sri Lanka for nearly five years. What do you think about the Sri Lankan culture and its bio-diversity?

A: Sri Lanka has a very rich culture mainly in the area of music, dancing and art and is unique in nature. As a country I would like to travel to so may places in this beautiful country like the Cultural Triangle.

This is incredible to promote as a major tourist attraction if peace and harmony is restored. I also like to visit Galle Fort and play golf in Kandy. The beauty of this country is that there are so many different microclimates in a small country.

What do you think about Sri Lanka’s education system?

A: I think Sri Lankan people/professionals are capable and a very talented set of people.

But the only problem I see is that access to opportunities is minimal. If they come back with an overseas qualification they would be very much employable.

Therefore, Sri Lankan students should find ways to obtain overseas qualifications.

My Boss

Executive Secretary Marina Samarajeewa has been working in the Overseas School for more than 20 years. All her bosses were expatriates. She said that McLellan is a very nice person to work with. “Since he is an understanding person we have a very good working relationship.”

“He has a lot of forward planning and is a well-organised person, whom anyone could learn from,” she said. “Our Head of School is very supportive, open minded, respectful and courteous to everybody. He also likes our country and the culture,” she said.