Education Faculty of OUSL:

Providing quality education

Celebrates eighth anniversary today:

T Thanaraj and L R Gonsalkorala

The Education Faculty of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) is celebrating its 8th anniversary today, with the eminent Professor of Sociology Prof Kalinga Tudor Silva from the Peradeniya University as the chief guest, and the Vice Chancellor, of the OUSL Prof Upali Vithanapathirana as the guest of honour.

Prof Silva will also deliver the keynote address.

The sixth annual academic session of the Faculty which is the highlight of the celebrations will also be held on this day.

A number of presentations will be made by internal academics on their innovative research projects - such as mentoring and school-based projects of the student teachers - as well as by research students of the Faculty and invited researchers.

Two Faculty magazines - Adeeksha (Sinhala) and Paarvai (Tamil) will also be released on this occasion. Both magazines contain valuable articles written by the academics of the Education Faculty theories as well as on contemporary issues in education.

The final report of the National Study on Student Achievement in English Language at Grade 10 will also be launched on the same day.

ODL mode

The Education Faculty, which is one of the two Faculties of Education in the National University system, in the youngest Faculty of the OUSL, established in 2003. Earlier, as Education Department it was a part of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty.

However, the Faculty has grown fast in its stature since then and today it stands out as the leader in the country in providing high quality professional education through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

The Faculty offers 15 programs at present that leads from certificate to PhD levels together with our short courses, through its three academic departments i.e. Secondary and Tertiary Education (STE), Early Childhood and Primary Education (ECPE) and Special Needs Education (SNE).

The Department of STE which is the largest in the Faculty offers eight programs and two courses including the Post Graduate Diploma in Education which is the flagship program of the Faculty, with more than 3,000 students at present.

Education Faculty of Open University of Sri Lanka. File photo

The Department also offers popular and well-sought after programs such as Master of Education (Med) and Master of Arts in Teacher Education (MATE). The Department of STE has also the distinction of offering the first fully online course of the OUSL namely, ‘Teacher Educator as an Educational Technologist’.

The Department of ECPE, which is unique in the national university system, offers certificate and diploma level programs in ECPE as well as manages a Child Study Centre, which specializes in training and research in child development.

This department also coordinates the activities of the model pre-schools in Colombo, Kandy and Matara Centres and the Day Care Centre at the Colombo Regional Centre.

The Department of SNE offers on PG Diploma in SNE and two short courses on Learning Disabilities and Inclusive Education. It also runs a Support Centre for Children and Adolescents in Risk Situation.

With about 6,500 students at present, the Faculty holds the envious position of sending the greater number of students to the OUSL Convocations in 2009 and 2010, thanks to the untiring and dedicated contributions of former and current staff of the Education Faculty which have immensely helped to prominently place the Faculty on the education map of the country.

While celebrating its 8th anniversary the Faculty is more resolved and more determined to dedicate itself towards national development by becoming the leader in advancing knowledge and professional practice in education through ODL in Sri Lanka and in the region.

At this moment of rejoice and celebrations, the Faculty very humbly and very sincerely acknowledges the support and cooperation it received from all its stakeholders without which the Faculty would not have been what it is today.