New Management at Stafford International School
View(s):
Founded in the year 1986 and located in the heart of Colombo 7 Stafford International School is one of the most prominent educational institutes in Sri Lanka. Stafford International School is an independent, private, coeducational school that guides its students towards International examinations offered by both Edexcel and Cambridge in the UK.
The school is in the process of Management reform and is in the process of reorganising and rebuilding the total framework and structure of the school with the aim of making it the best and most sought-after International School in the country.
The Recently appointed Board headed by Director Suvin Wettimuny is focused on breaking out of the traditional outlook and culture that the school is known for and moving towards a more progressive outlook, while staying true to the values with which the school was started. Suvin together with Dr. Damaris Wickramanayake the educational consultant and Mrs. Gowri Palipana the principal will make a perfect team to make this reform within the school.
Suvin is the son of the late Mithra Wettimuny and Mrs., Kanthi Wettimuny. Having obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from King’s College London, he also has a Masters in Education from Harvard Universtiy, U.S.A. Having extensive experience in many fields, as well as 14 year tenure as a pilot at Etihad Airways, Suvin has an understanding of the changing environment in the modern and global environment and is determined to equip students to not only be qualified, but to have the skills that are required for success. Dr. Damaris Wickramanayake who is a veteran in the field of school education is a well-known figure having been involved at CIS for the past 16 years and is bound to be invaluable in making Stafford a school of excellence.
Education is always the priority
“Education is of course our top priority and we hope that we will be able to provide nothing but the best for our students here at Stafford” said Mrs.Gowri Palipana. Following both the Cambridge and Edexcel curriculum Stafford has produced many prize winners over the years in the O/L and the A/L examinations.
Emphasising the importance of this reform the new management said “We firmly believe in education where a student should be allowed to try out a variety of subjects at a young age and figure out for themselves what they are good at and what their strengths are instead of simply just choosing a stream and trying to determine their whole future just based on that”.
Changes to the curriculum include broadening the range of subjects offered at the school as well. New Option Blocks allow students to pick subjects they enjoy in a mixture from the Sciences, Arts & humanities and commerce streams at both Ordinary and Advanced Level. Also, in the plans is the inclusion of languages such as German, Japanese and if possible Mandarin at lower secondary level, in addition to French which is already part of the curriculum. In an increasingly global economy having a knowledge of even one of these languages will give Stafford students an edge as it will be a great asset when interacting with international partners in whatever field they choose in the future. Advanced level students too will be given the opportunity to follow a short course in one of these languages alongside their chosen subjects.
With the introduction of smart classrooms and advanced science labs and some of the best teachers in their team, Stafford international school is determined to provide a premium quality education.
The management’s vision is to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the school whilst also providing new, improved state-of-the-art facilities to bolster this learning. The focus will be on student-centered learning with small class sizes and a good teacher/student ratio that enables individual guidance for every student.
An overall balanced student
The day is started at Stafford International School with religious observances embracing the diverse cultural backgrounds from which our students come. Building on this diversity the school celebrates the festivals and cultural traditions of all ethnic groups represented in the school. Students are encouraged to respect and value the traditions and customs of others.
The students at Stafford are also known to be very socially conscious and aware of their role to play in helping those less fortunate than them. Many social service and charitable projects are therefore an integral part of their school life.