Focus on leadership, skills, action learning research at maiden TISSL heads’ meet

Heads of The International Schools of Sri Lanka (TISSL), in their first international conference concluded recently has drawn out focus on development of leadership, skills and action learning research.

The inaugural conference which featured five international educationists, was attended by over 125 heads of international schools islandwide.

The event was graced by Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Southern Province Education Minister, Chandima Rasaputhra as Guest of Honour. The keynote address by the Defence S e c re t a r y f ocused on Mahinda Chinthanaya’s future plans for education with greater emphasis on providing skills and attributes which assist young adults to be meaningfully employed.

Deputy Education Minister, Mohan Lal Grero also addressed the gathering.

Dr Gnanakumaran Subramaniam, Head of School & Associate Professor, Sch o o l o f Educat i o n , Nottingham University, Malaysia campus, focused on how good school leadership can achieve learning success, and included numerous examples.

Curriculum Foundation Co- founder Peter Hall Jones, in his presentation on leading a curriculum designed to achieve a ‘ model student/ global citizen’, provided ideas on how teachers could engage in self- assessment of their own effectiveness.

He also touched on the notion of using forms of action learning research to continuously improve their pedagogical and curriculum design skills to meet the abilities and potential of all children

University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus Provost & CEO, and Pro Vice Chancellor at Nottingham University, Prof Christine Ennew made an informative presentation on internationalisation of higher education and what would be expected of students enrolling into world class global universities.

Beijing Dulwich College Headmaster, David Mansfield, a graduate of Cambridge and Oxford University, made a presentation focused on the new movement in teaching and learning theory, and emphasised on the need to educate the whole child.

He referred to good practices adopted by his own school and how it has contributed to the students’ overall development.

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