Teaching proper skills her forte

Achini Abeygunawardena shines in chosen field:

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

Education is the gateway to a brighter future. The formal education in early life plays a key role in personal development and it should not be limited to what we learn from school. Extra curricular activities makes a complete person and the trend today is to involve in several extra curricular activities so that you can identify the hidden potential.

This is useful when selecting a career path as well as developing skills for own benefit. Many people are born with multiple talents and providing a platform to unleash them is important. Achini Abeygunawardena successfully runs a number of ventures related to education where her students excel in their chosen fields. One of her ventures is to train teachers to provide quality education.

She was a pioneer in this concept and today many have followed her path in producing high caliber teachers for the betterment of the country. As a woman she has set a shining example for others showing how best one’s skills could be used to gain economic benefit.

She was interviewed by Daily News Business.

Excerpts of the interview.

Q. What is the business you are engaged in and how do you set about it?

A. I am in the field of education. I have several businesses in the same line. The World Vision International School in Kiribathgoda is a prime educational service provider. We provide education to pre-school and primary school students under the British curriculum, but with a Sri Lankan touch.

At London Academy of Speech which is in Kiribathgoda and Wattala we conduct speech and drama, spoken English and effective speech and grammar classes under a British curriculum. We also conduct soft skills training programs for the corporate sector.

The British Teacher Training Colleges are in Wattala, Bambalapitiya and Kiribathgoda. This college is the pioneer in the arena of teacher training in this country, where we train teachers for British diplomas in teaching speech and communication. The English language is a must for this training as our college is foreign affiliated.

I work as an Examiner in Speech and Communication at Thames Valley University (LCM exams) and I am also a Representative in Sri Lanka for LCM exams. I also work as the sole Sri Lankan Representative of Victoria College, London.

The British Activity School in Wattala is the latest addition to the list where parents can leave their children in our care after school and the children would be engaged in various activities.

I as a child followed subjects of speech and drama and secured three British fellowships in public speaking. I was following a degree in Chemistry when I got a scholarship to study speech and drama in the UK. I had to give up my degree and pursue studying speech and drama. This was a turning point in my life.

After studying I returned home and had a short stint at the Kelaniya University. I was a consultant for a few private schools and international schools in Colombo. I was motivated to start my own school through these experiences and this is how I ventured in to the field of education.

I never advertise my ventures and the news is spread through word of mouth. The response from parents is encouraging. I focus on a niche market and have customized my service.

Q. How do you balance your family life and business?

A. I use methodologies such as 5S to organize my life. I leave for work around 8.15 in the morning with my youngest child and I am back at home by 1.30 pm. I then relax for a while and leave home for two hours but for only three days of the week.

I don’t work on Saturday, but I work half day on Sunday. However I am at home when the children come home from their extra curricular activities and spend time with my family. The computer and the internet have played a pivotal role in saving my time to balance my family life and business.

Q. What were the challenges you faced?

A. The challenges are that most schools have a large infrastructure where as in my case I don’t. So it is difficult to compete, but I deliver results through students to meet the challenge. At World Vision, we mould young children to be confident and poised by the age of five to face the world positively.

The biggest challenge that I am facing now is that in Sri Lanka people tend to copy what you innovate.

That not only ruins the market but mislead people too. People with very limited knowledge and exposure try to replicate the business and unfortunately the future generations of this country are affected.

My question is whether your six-year old child can read and write? - if the answer is “no”, the obvious reason is the methodology used to teach from a pre-school perspective.

At the end of the day, flamboyant advertising does not pave way for proper teaching skills. Therefore, the public needs to be aware of the delivery quality and capability of the institution.

Q. What are your goals?

A. To train English teachers according to the proper way with British qualifications and to groom as many young adults as possible to communicate effectively. As for the school, maybe to have a building as per foreign standards with a large garden because Sri Lankan parents have a tendency to judge the standard of the school by its infrastructure!

Q. Was being a woman an advantage to be in business?

A. Yes and no.

Yes, because most parents may not have sent their children for classes (or the school), had I been a man I think. Here the womanhood is a blessing.

However, as a woman, I cannot travel to distant places to conduct classes as the balance in my family needs to be maintained. It is also not practical for a woman to conduct mass classes.

Q. What is your advice to women in business?

A. Be innovative, do what you are capable of and excel. Strive to be the best mother to your children. Balance your work and family life well.

Q. What are your achievements in family life and business?

A: I have a wonderful family. My husband Channa is the CEO of a company. I have three daughters Nasharli, Hashani and Shemali aged 10, 8 and 4.

My parents are our neighbours and they play a major role in bringing up the children. The greatest achievement in the field of business is the fact that I am the only Asian to be on the panel of examiners at Thames Valley University, UK.

I also was the pioneer in introducing the teacher training concept to Sri Lanka. I consider the recognition and appreciation by the parents as the most valuable return from my ventures.