Overseas School of Colombo celebrates 67th anniversary

The Overseas School of Colombo celebrated its 67th anniversary in September 2024. When it was established in 1957 it was known as the ‘Colombo School for Overseas Children’ catering mainly to the children of Embassy Staff and UN officials. The location of the school was at Queen’s Street, Colombo 1. It is the oldest international school in Sri Lanka. A lot of changes have taken place since its inception and today it is a premier international school in Sri Lanka.

I have had the privilege to be involved with the school for 30 years out of its 67-year existence, as a member of its faculty. I joined in 1981 when the secondary section of the school was situated at Muttiah Road in Colombo 2. It was then named as the ‘Overseas Children’s School’. My main task was to teach mathematics to those following the GCE advanced level (London) classes. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program was introduced in 1983 and in 1984 the school was relocated to its spacious present location at Pelawatte, Battaramulla. No moving firm was involved in this relocation exercise and all of the items were loaded and transported by the school staff and parents. It was a moving community project. At that time, there were no shops in Pelawatte. Development came later. Perhaps, the presence of OSC also contributed towards the development of the area.

With this shift to Pelawatte, both primary and secondary schools were able to operate in one location. The whole community enjoyed the spacious classrooms, green environment and the large playground. A large computer room was established and the teachers were given training with computer usage. It was a regular sight to see students been taken to the computer room at assigned times to make them comfortable with the use of computers. In July 1987, the school was attacked and some buildings were set on fire due to the clashes that took place in the country as a result of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord. It was a traumatic experience to see burnt books and equipment. Until the restoration was complete, classes were held in some embassy premises and hotels. My classes were at the Hotel Oberoi, which is Cinnamon Grand Hotel now.

A gymnasium consisting of basketball and badminton courts and also a room with gymnastic apparatus was built in 1992. Thereafter, the school continued to grow with facilities such as a swimming pool, auditorium and a sound-proof music center being added in later years.

I left OSC to take up an appointment in Hong Kong in 1995. When I came back to Sri Lanka in 2008, I was invited to join the school and I happily did so. By that time the school’s name had changed to the ‘Overseas School of Colombo’ and it had become an IB World School, teaching the International Baccalaureate curriculum in all of the classes. Today, OSC is the only school in Sri Lanka which offers the internationally acclaimed IB curriculum. It is also the only school in the country which is accredited by three international accreditation agencies. The motto of the school has been ‘Unity in diversity’ from the beginning and this is aptly demonstrated with the harmonious functioning of about 40 nationalities within the school.

During the past few years, the school faced enormous challenges due to the pandemic and the economic crisis of the country. I salute the school for gradually overcoming them with committed resilience, innovative thinking and resolute courage. While wishing the school a happy anniversary, I congratulate all those who contributed towards the nurturing of minds, shaping futures and making a difference through striving for excellence.

R N A DE SILVA
ndesilva@osc.lk