Malabe Boys’ Model School, one of the outstanding schools in the outer periphery of the Colombo city became the only school in the Western Province to be recognised among the top ten schools out of the 67 schools which were awarded International School Award (ISA) accreditation by the British Council.
The British Council International School Award (ISA) is an accreditation scheme for schools that has embedded international work into their curriculum.
It is a global benchmarking project that recognizes schools for their outstanding support for developing a global dimension in the curriculum and enriching teaching and learning through new practices.
This year 67 schools from Sri Lanka were awarded the ISA accreditation for their exceptional achievements, having executed seven or more exciting international projects in their school.
According to the ISA coordinator for the Malabe Model Boys’ School Kushlani Dabarera, the school completed ten projects, out of that 7 projects were completed in collaboration with schools from the U.K, Pakistan, India, China and Thailand.
The students of the Grade 7 of Malabe Boys’ Model School entertain the audience by presenting lullabies from different countries.
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Schools that participated in ISA required drafting an action plan for an academic year with a minimum of seven projects related to international dimensions covering a range of subject areas and age groups.
The schools record their work and present a dossier of evidence that is assessed by a panel. Schools that are successful in meeting the assessment criteria are awarded the accreditation for a period of three years.
“Our dossier was selected as most outstanding dossier”, Dabrera added.
There are two awards levels, Intermediate Certificate and Full International School Awards available in Sri-Lanka and Malabe Boys Model School received Full International Award.
The ceremony organised by the British Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to award ISA accreditation was held recently at the Eagles’ Lakeside Banquet hall in Attidiya, Dehiwela with Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam as the Chief Guest. Malabe Boys Model School as a top ten schools awarded with ISA was selected as the only school to make a presentation at the award ceremony and Kushlani Dabarera the ISA Coordinator, the President of the ISA Students’ Committee Matheesha Palliyaguruge and the Vice-President Pasindu Gunawardana made the presentation on the successful journey made to achieve the ISA.
“Our students of grade 7 also entertained the audience with lullabies from different countries such as Sri Lanka, Africa, Japan, India and Russia which they did as one of their projects”, Dabarera said.
“It was with the guidance and cooperation made by our principal Sisira Gunarathne we could achieve this”, Dabarera added. The cooperation extended by the assistant ISA Co-ordinator Chathurani Bogahawatta, the staff, the ISA Committee the Students’ ISA Committee together with students of all age groups parents in particular is immeasurable.
“We also cannot forget the co-operation extended by the neighboring schools, representatives of the Sri Jayawardanapura Zonal Educational Office and the staff of the British Council in Sri Lanka”, she added.
(RW)