Learning to Live and to Love
View(s):When you invest in education of your children they will pay it forward. Equipped with knowledge and confidence, they will grow up to lead healthier and more productive lives. It is not even a year since its inception but this institution has already attracted many parents as a unique place to educate the children. POLYMATH College with its two supporting arms – POLYMATH Kids and POLYMATH day care provides wonderful learning opportunities to the kids to become creative well rounded, hardworking, skillful and happy young people with high moral values.
“POLYMATH means a person who knows a lot about many things. Our commitment at “POLYMATH” is to provide a challenging educational programme for all students within a safe, nurturing environment which will enable them to function as positive, productive, ethical, confident, effective, innovative, responsible and disciplined global citizens with very high moral values, character, skills and creativity,” says former Royal College Principal, Upali Gunasekara who now heads POLYMATH College, Nawinna, Maharagama as its Principal.
“At “POLYMATH”, each student is considered an asset and we take care of each individual. All Polymaths follow a curriculum that encourages them to explore, question, experience, discuss and learn from our qualified, dedicated, dynamic and committed staff. Our teachers ensure that all students grasp their book work during the school hours. Thus seeking extra assistance after school which consumes students’ time of play and parents’ money is highly discouraged and is not needed. It offers the students of the college time for relaxation, reading or engaging in an extracurricular activity which makes them a complete human being,” Gunasekara added.
Gunasekara is a visionary leader and a well known personality in the field of education. Having served as the Deputy Principal of D. S. Senanayake College for seven years, he was promoted as the Principal of Isipathana College. During Gunasekara’s tenure, he maintained strict discipline and was able to improve the academic standards to an unprecedented level. It was under his patronage that Career Guidance activities were introduced to the school. Chess, as a game was improved, as did many other sports and games. Then he became the Principal of Royal College and served more than 12 years introducing new thinking, technology which ended with the College winning the Microsoft Award in 2009 along with many other environmental awards. Now at POLYMATH College he unfolds the same vision to serve many children who do not get a chance to enter a government school.
“Having realized that satisfaction is one of the key elements for success, “POLYMATH” maintains the highest standard for all students and its staff members to enter and leave the school premises happily. We are acutely aware that students are different to one another and are capable of learning. It is the responsibility of the staff to understand the needs of all POLYMATHS and we believe in praise, encouragement, inspiration, motivation and affection rather than criticism, fear, condemnation and punishment,” Principal pointed out.
Gunasekara said that the college and its staff endeavor to help POLYMATHS to see mistakes not as failures, but as an essential part of their learning. “The school curriculum is oriented that POLYMATHS embody self-confidence and think out of the box. While appreciating the fact that all schools encourage students to learn and be thorough in different subject areas, the college concentrates more on the school motto ‘Vivere Disce – Learn to Live’ and provide opportunities for POLYMATHS to move in that direction,” he added.
Finally the college aims in creating an international personality with a Sri Lankan identity in keeping with the objectives of “POLYMATH” College. The policies of the school include being punctual and every child to be equipped with basic mathematics and language skills.
Thus each period of a class starts with a five minute Q&A session regarding the previous learning. Children have to get involved in every activity themselves and all the note books are marked/checked by teacher/facilitator every fortnight. Teachers of the college play the roles of facilitator, planner, instructor, counselor, mediator, explainer and mentor for the students.
Every child in POLYMATH College plays Chess and Scrabble which helps improve their mind concentration which is a priority in education. Every student is also oriented in meditation activities.
Alongside the education the college also creates an empathetic personality. Every student at Polymath feels the difficulties of the sick, the poor and the feeble. They are encouraged to assist the needy. The college also promotes healthy food and encourages good food habits. For this the college gardens are turned into vegetable plots where students get hands on experience of gardening, growing herbs and consuming home grown vegetables and fruits. The natural environment which surrounds the high rising buildings grooms every child as a nature lover.
Maintaining discipline and order is one of the priorities of the school and the administrators hope to deliver socially responsible citizens to the society through POLYMATH College in future.