News

Melbourne’s Firbank Grammar School partners with Ladies’ College Colombo to offer VCE in Sri Lanka

Published

4 years ago

2022/08/28

Official signing of the agreement by Ranmalee Balasooriya Vice Principal of Ladies’ College and Principal of Firbank Grammar School, Jenny Williams

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.

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News

Young monk arrested with ‘Ice’

Published

1 min ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

During a raid conducted by officers of the Rangala Police, a 23-year-old Buddhist monk, reportedly residing at a temple in the Hurikaduwa area of Menikhinna, was arrested with 10 grams of the narcotic drug ‘Ice’ (Crystal Methamphetamine).

The drug was found hidden inside the back cover of the monk’s mobile phone during a search operation carried out by the police officers.

Under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) Jayantha Samarakoon, a police team led by the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Rangala Police, Chief Inspector Nishantha Wijerathna, apprehended the young monk involved in the ‘Ice’ trade.

By S.K. Samaranayake

News

Father of two shot and injured

Published

2 mins ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

A 28-year-old man was left seriously injured following a shooting incident in the Gohagoda area, within the Katugastota police division, early yesterday morning (04).

The victim, a member of the cleaning staff at the Kandy National Hospital, is currently receiving emergency treatment at the same hospital.

The shooting occurred near an emission testing centre located in Gohagoda.

The victim has been identified as a married father of two, residing in the Hanthana area of Kandy.

According to police reports, he had left his home on a motorcycle in the early hours of the morning. However, the exact reason for his presence in the Gohagoda area, at that hour, remains under investigation.

Following the attack, the victim had managed to contact a friend via telephone, informing him that he had been shot and was lying injured in Gohagoda.

The friend, who rushed to the location at daybreak, took immediate steps to hospitalise the victim.

Katugastota Police stated that the type of firearm used in the shooting had not yet been identified.

Extensive investigations are underway to determine the motive behind the attack and to apprehend the perpetrators.

By S.K. Samaranayake

News

Deepika and Esala join RCSS Board

Published

3 mins ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

Deepika / Esala

The Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) has accommodated Prof. Deepika Udagama and Ambassador (Retd.) Esala Weerakoon to its Board of Directors, at its meeting held on 30 April, 2026. They succeed former Secretary to the Prime Minister, Deshamanya M. D. D. Pieris, and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank (CB) and member of the Monetary Board of the CB, Dr. Ranee Jayamaha, who completed their terms recently.

The current members of the BoD comprise Prof. Amal Jayawardane, (Emeritus Professor of International Relations, University of Colombo), Dr. Chulani Kodikara (Feminist Researcher and activist), Dilip Kodikara, (Entrepreneur and a founding Director of the RCSS), Prof. Nazir Hussain (Professor of International Relations and former Dean, of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan), and Prof. Varun Sahni (Professor of International Relations at Ashoka University, India).

The RCSS is an independent, non-profit, policy research centre co-founded in 1992 by Prof. Shelton Kodikara – its first Executive Director, to focus on a broad range of conventional and non-conventional sources of conflict and conditions of peace. Ambassador (Retd.) Ravinatha Aryasinha, former Foreign Secretary, presently serves as the Executive Director of the RCSS.

A Diplomat Esala Weerakoon was the 14th Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) from March 2020 till September 2023. He was the Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka (2016-2017), Senior Additional Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka (2018-2019 and from 2023- 2024). His 35-year diplomatic career, includes serving as High Commissioner to India, Ambassador to Norway, Deputy Chief of Mission to the USA and in various capacities abroad and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also served the Government of Sri Lanka as the Secretary, Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing, and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development. He has an Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Kelaniya and MSc from the London School of Economics.