At a gala ceremony held at the Sugathadasa Stadium, the Edexcel London Examinations' High Achievers Awards presented kudos to 287 award winners from all over the country under the aegis of Chief Guest, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. GL Peiris and Guest of Honour Former Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha.

Organised by Edexcel International, UK's largest awarding organisation working with over 5,500 schools, colleges, universities and employers worldwide and the British Council, awards were presented to students who excelled in both the London GCE O/Level, IGCSE and GCE A/Level examinations in 2009.

There were many world prizes in English Language, Geography, Commerce, History, Human Biology, Religious Studies, Sinhala and Tamil at the GCE O/Level Examination and World Prizes in Accounting, Applied ICT, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Further Mathematics and Physics in the London GCE A/Level examinations held last year. It's pertinent to note that a Sri Lankan student gained a World Prize in English Language at the GCE O/Level Examination, a notable achievement given at a London examination.

While wishing those who excelled in the examinations, Prof Peiris extolled the virtues of a holistic education system, one that makes young people true citizens of the world, while calling the high achievers a rich reservoir of talent that can contribute towards the development of the country in this new era.

"It is important that we realise the value of education because it is the one asset that is primarily instrumental in not only shaping your future, but also your community and country. A British qualification has always been well recognised in any part of the world due to the deep tenets of knowledge and the foundation it lays in ensuring a sustainable education for those studying through it.

When our young people contribute their knowledge and skills to their communities and in some cases even to other countries, more often than not, they excel and fast track their climb up the career ladder.
Education is truly an investment in the future of the country because it's education that allows each of us to logically apply our knowledge to overcome challenges, create workable solutions and improve on the social and economic fabric of the country." He urged the students to return to Sri Lanka and become a part of the economic development of the country.

134 leading international and local private schools offer Edexcel qualifications in Sri Lanka and Guest of Honour Patrick Casey, International Director of Edexcel extolled the virtues of these British qualifications which are offered in over 85 countries with over 110 million students sitting examinations annually.
"It gives me great pleasure to come to Sri Lanka and see the excellent standards being set by students in this country.

Education is the bedrock on which societal progress rests and at Edexcel we have been committed to raising attainment across the globe. Our qualifications are driven towards an educational experience that seek to equip students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to excel in all walks of life.
I would like to congratulate each and every one of the awardees as well as other students and wish them a great future."

Says Country Director of the British Council which is the outsourced examination conductor for Edexcel Gill Westaway, "We know that Edexcel sets very high standards but we also know that this means that the GCE A Level, O Level and IGCSE examination results gained by Edexcel candidates are highly valued and respected globally and provide access to university places in Higher Education institutions around the world.

The exam pedagogy also encourages a classroom methodology which is interactive and provokes students to really reflect on what they are learning." Edexcel International, which has been providing school leaving and university entry qualifications in the UK for over 160 years, has seven regional offices located in London, Dubai, Delhi, Colombo, Hong Kong, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, supported by an extensive network of country representatives and Edexcel's head office in London.

Qualifications offered by Edexcel International include London Examinations GCE A/Levels, GCE O/Levels, IGCSEs, GCSEs, Key and Basic Skills and its vocational BTEC suite that provides progression from pre GCSE level through to sub-degree Higher National Diplomas, together with tailor-made qualifications for employers.