Colombo School of Arts and Sciences addresses the mismatch between our school system and the job market
here is a big gap and mismatch between the secondary and tertiary education sectors in Sri Lanka and the demands of the local and international job market. Everyone recognizes that there is a problem with our education system, and the challenge of overcoming this issue to ensure the future of our children in fitting into a fiercely competitive global village and knowledge economy has been debated by many educationalists and policy makers. However hardly any private or international school has ventured out to provide the type of holistic education required to achieve this. Colombo School of Arts and Sciences (CSA) was launched with the aim of filling the gap in the market“, were the sentiments echoed by CSA’s principal Ms. Shaleeka Jayalath who discussed the need for schools in the country to reform their education curriculum according to the changing needs of the market.
She said that keeping with the requirements of a high performing school, CSA not only prepares students to face exams but also to face the needs of the workplace. They achieve this through a unique hybrid model that comprises academic excellence with research methodology, internship programmes and training in soft skills such as team work, resourcefulness and professionalism. Sessions at CSA are therefore conducted to build creativity, communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills amongst many other similar skill sets.
The CSA Internship Programme allows students the opportunity to see whether or not a career fits with their passion and interest. Sometimes the internship will foster the conclusion that the chosen career path is not what they had expected. However, in most cases, it leads to a greater understanding of the field and assists with the development of skills marketable for their chosen career path.
“The ‘proof the pudding’ is in our results. The final results of our students this year bear testimony to the fact that the model at CSA works”, added Ms. Jayalath. Students at CSA successfully obtained 75% A* and A grades at the Cambridge ‘O’ Level and Cambridge International ‘A’ Level May/June 2016 examinations, with Top in Sri Lanka and 3A* Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards.