International Schools Award:

Globalisation through IT and connectivity

Angu RAJENDRAN

Country Director of the British Council Sri Lanka warmly welcoming the Chief Guest the Minster of Education, Bandula Gunawardene

Gliobalisation has taken many forms. Here we go again with British Council’s novel way of ‘Connecting Classrooms.’

At a very colourful ceremony, in a packed Hilton Ballroom on recently this year, 75 rural and urban schools were given the International Schools Award accreditation, from the 100 schools that applied for assessment. The Chief Guest at the ceremony, Minister of Education, Bandula Gunawardena watched proudly as the students presented their experiences.

Much like the system of old when friends all over the world connected together as pen pals, here with their innovative scheme of connecting classrooms, The British Council seems to have connected children from remote areas of Sri Lanka like Badulla, Bandarawela, Monaragala, Jaffna, Walasmulla, Kurunegala, Gampola, Matale, Galle, Matara, Kandy and others with schools as far away as in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Sri Lankan children get exposure on a regular basis, to their English counterparts via the internet, skype and possibly video conferencing.

The schools that wish to participate in this International School Award Accreditation scheme offered by The British Council, begin by drafting an action plan for the academic year of activities with a range of age groups with their ‘connected school.’

Assistant Director of Education (English), Southern rovince,Isuru Abeyratne addressing at the International School Award Presentation ceremony

As British Council Director Tony Reilly has said ‘The main aim … is to build learning partnerships between Sri Lankan and UK schools’ in order to add a global element to the curriculum. The accreditation will build face – to – face contact with schools in the UK for youngsters of Sri Lanka and in the long run provide trust, understanding of cultures and the ability to establish partnerships and collaborative projects.

Upon completion of the series of activities that has connected the children of both schools, the concerned schools prepare dossiers. The dossiers record the shared views and ideas which may include photographs and comments on topics like festivals, or the weather or even their curriculums. It was evident from the confidence with which the young students from the ISA certified schools presented their activities at the ceremony; The British Council is very close to achieving their target of globalizing through ‘connecting classrooms.’

In many instances, the students outshone their teachers with their impeccable accents, flawless English and the confidence and ease with which they presented their stories. Stories that had connected them with their English counterparts!

Definitely future generations of Sri Lanka stand to benefit from this programme that maximizes opportunities for students and teachers to connect and interact with each other using IT and of course the much desired global language – English.
 

A dance by Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo representing diverse ethnic groups	The Minister at a discussion
	Some of the award winning schools. Pictures by Ranjith Asanka