News
Melbourne’s Firbank Grammar School partners with Ladies’ College Colombo to offer VCE in Sri Lanka
Newly designated Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Paul Stephens marked his first official appearance in his new role at the launch of a landmark partnership between Firbank Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, and Ladies’ College Institute of Professional Studies in Colombo on Friday, 12 August 2022, through which Firbank will support Ladies’ College to provide young men and women the opportunity to obtain the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).
The High Commissioner’s attendance at the event coincides with the 75th year of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Australia, signifying the depth of long-term collaboration behind this partnership between the two educational institutions, which will see experienced mentors from Firbank Grammar School working regularly with educators at Ladies’ College to ensure that the VCE programme is delivered in line with the high standards that have earned Firbank its reputation as one of Melbourne’s leading Schools.
Thus, through this partnership, which is facilitated by administrative support from AustraLanka International Academy, Ladies’ College will allow Sri Lankan students to benefit from Australian education without having to leave the country. Students in the VCE programme at Ladies’ College will share the same experience as students studying the VCE in Melbourne, with access to the same assessments and examinations.
The launch event, which was also attended by Firbank Grammar School Principal Jenny Williams and Director of International Operations Wendy Grant, alongside Ladies’ College Vice Principal Ranmalee Balasooriya and Ladies’ College Institute of Professional Studies Chief Operating Officer Sunimal Fernando, as well as AustraLanka International Academy Director Amila Jayasuriya, began with the traditional lighting of the oil lamp, before representatives from both schools formally signed the partnership agreement.
This is the first such partnership of its kind, where an Australian education institution has undertaken a long-term engagement with a local counterpart to consistently maintain and improve educational standards. While teachers will benefit from an evolving and improving curriculum, students gain the advantage of more holistic educational and assessment methods that go far beyond end-of-year exams.
Speaking about this at the launch event, Firbank Grammar School Director of International Operations Wendy Grant explained that Firbank Grammar School wants all its students, domestic and international, to see themselves as part of the global community, adding: “When they set their sights on success, they make a difference not only in their own countries, but across the world. The relationships that students develop internationally, we believe, will assist this, and help build a collaborative, cooperative global village into the future.”
This concept of the global village is an integral part of the vision of Firbank Grammar School, which has extensive experience in international education, and continues to successfully work with ten partner schools in China and Vietnam.
Wendy also noted that Firbank’s foray into Sri Lanka had long been in the works, with several Sri Lankans having worked with the school in Melbourne, and some of them being Ladies’ College alumni – thus, this partnership was born of the same collaborative culture that it seeks to inculcate in students through its VCE programmes.
The Ministry of Environment has called on the public to reduce reliance on single-use plastic water bottles and switch to reusable alternatives as part of efforts to curb plastic pollution.
In a public appeal, the Ministry warned that plastic bottles bought for temporary convenience could remain in the environment for hundreds of years, contributing to long-term environmental damage.
It urged people to carry reusable water bottles, including glass bottles and other environmentally friendly alternatives, stressing that changes in everyday habits could help reduce plastic waste significantly.
The Ministry said steps had already been taken to limit the purchase and use of single-use plastic water bottles in state institutions.
A special circular issued through the Ministry came into effect on May 31, 2026, directing state institutions to minimise the purchase and use of such bottles.
Programmes aimed at reducing the use of plastic and polythene are also continuing across state institutions, in line with commitments made on World Environment Day 2025, the Ministry said.
It added that arrangements were being made under amended environmental legislation to introduce nationwide initiatives to reduce plastic use in collaboration with industries.
However, the Ministry stressed that regulations alone would not be enough to tackle plastic pollution and called for greater responsibility and behavioural change among individuals.
“Real change begins with shifting our daily habits,” the Ministry said, urging people to begin by carrying their own reusable water bottles when leaving home.
Reducing dependence on single-use plastics is essential to creating a cleaner and greener environment for future generations, the Ministry said.
The government was monitoring vessels reportedly anchored near Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Media Director General Thushara Rodrigo told the media on Saturday.
However, Rodrigo stressed that the vessels were outside Sri Lanka’s sovereign territory and that the Government was neither responsible for them nor providing them with any facilities.
According to maritime tracking website TankerTrackers, nearly 20 Iranian oil tankers are currently anchored near Sri Lanka’s EEZ after being unable to return to Iranian ports. The website attributed the situation to a US naval blockade that has prevented the vessels from reaching their home ports.
TankerTrackers said about 13 Iranian-flagged oil tankers, along with several sanction-evading vessels commonly known as the “shadow fleet”, were currently anchored near Sri Lanka’s EEZ. It added that the vessels were not carrying fuel.
The website also raised concerns over the safety of the vessels, citing an incident last March in which an American submarine reportedly struck and sank the Iranian vessel IRIS Dena, about 19 nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast.
However, TankerTrackers noted that under international law, the United States could not attack vessels within the territorial waters of a neutral country, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline.
by Norman Palihawadane
A 17-year-old schoolboy was fatally attacked with a sharp weapon at Arapola, in Eheliyagoda, yesterday.
The victim, an Advanced Level student at Eheliyagoda National School, succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Eheliyagoda Base Hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the attack was linked to a dispute that occurred near the Arapola School Junction on Saturday evening.
Police said a youth had been talking to two girls near the junction when another individual allegedly recorded them on a mobile phone, leading to a dispute between the two parties.
The suspect is alleged to have arrived at the victim’s residence early yesterday and attacked him with a sharp weapon before fleeing the scene.
Police are conducting further investigations to identify and apprehend the suspect.
ADB-funded Thalaiyadi plant serves as blueprint for vulnerable dry zones in Sri Lanka
Protecting Sri Lanka’s natural heritage: The leadership we need for next 75 years
Empty pockets, belt-tightening
The Concrete Road
Environment Ministry urges plastic bottle switch
Lanka watches Iranian tankers near EEZ
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoMissing doctor’s body found in Mahiyanganaya
-
News6 days agoAustralia declines to release Finance Secy Suriyapperuma’s citizenship details
-
News3 days agoEight politicians in drug kingpin probe
-
News6 days ago22A: BASL suggests CJ recuse himself from hearing petitions
-
Business3 days agoSri Lanka opens up: A new season of direct connectivity
-
Features5 days agoInsights from Chieftains of Uva: Genealogy of two Kandyan Families – Part II
-
Features1 day ago“Wrap Me Up in My Blazer”— A Gentlemanly Bradby Reminiscence
-
Features3 days agoRedefining ageing in Sri Lanka