“Education should be a pathway to celebrate the gift of human imagination,”
Trinity College, Kandy is among the few ‘school brands’ in Sri Lanka that has carved an international image for itself, due to its celebrated history, unparalleled contribution to the academic construct of the country and the distinguished past pupils who have walked through the gates of the College.
Rev. Fr. Araliya Jayasundara, OSB – Principal, Trinity College, Kandy
Trinity is synonymous for embracing progress and change while preserving its age-old heritage and traditions. As part of its progressive steps forward, Trinity College introduced International Advanced Levels (IALs) to its diverse product portfolio a few years ago, and now this operation has commenced producing results with its latest batch of students securing more than 94% pass rate at the Oct. 2020 IAL exams. Reveling in this backdrop, Rev. Fr. Araliya Jayasundara, OSB who assumed duties as the Principal of Trinity College only a few month ago, joined this discussion to talk about the emerging trends in education, changing role of the school education system, and the perspective of Trinity College that will be celebrating its 150th anniversary next year.
As a traditional local curriculum driven school, what made Trinity College introduce IALs to their academic portfolio?
The introduction of IALs to Trinity College was a decision taken after much deliberation, and reflection on the existing local education model.
It was a step towards diversifying the academic options for the Sri Lankan student, as, in its purest form the local A/L curriculum at present is restricted to traditional streams of education, even though strenuous efforts have been made to diversify the curriculum. Traditional stereotypes are still preventing the students from pursuing new avenues of study under the prevailing A/L system, while on the contrary, the IAL option is providing an extremely student friendly and futuristic learning platforms in fulfilling A/L qualifications.
A classroom session is in progress in the IAL section
Another reason was the extreme competitive nature of the local A/Ls that hampers the innate creativity of the student in their academic pursuits. The IALs on the other hand is designed in such a way that it not only enhances the imagination of the child but provides opportunities to experiment with their creativity. The next reason of course is somewhat intrinsic to Trinity culture – where we vigorously promote sports and other extra-curricular activities for students. In this context IALs provide opportunities for eager sports enthusiasts and passionate free spirits to pursue their life interests without having a negative impact on their academic endeavours.
The last reason of course is to provide a launching platform to students who wish to pursue offshore higher educational opportunities, where they can get acclimatized on the learning angles and aspects of foreign education.
With the students securing a near 100% pass rate at the Oct. 2020 exams, how would you evaluate the journey of last three years of Trinity IALs?
Like any other pioneering venture, IALs was a project commenced on sheer passion and enthusiasm. In this context, Trinity College owes a lot to Mr. Andrew Fowler-Watt, my predecessor for his visionary enthusiasm in introducing IALs to Trinity College. During the last three years we have learned that combining the IAL option with the Trinity legacy of 150 years coupled with the cutting-edge infrastructure and resource development projects we have initiated, will provide a unique experience to the students as well as the academia attached to the unit. With that learning, and the confidence gained by the progress of the students are making, we have now registered TCK IALs as an official Edexcel examinations venue as well.
Whilst working towards instilling a global product, we are closely guided by the core values and standards of Trinity culture.
As the recent examination results portray, we make every necessary attempt to diversify our product offer (curriculum), in accordance with the ever-changing global employment trends. These results are also an obvious testament to the kind of faculty and amenities Trinity College is proud and blessed to have, as without the positive intervention of faculty and facilities, this outcome wouldnot have been possible.
A study session being conducted in the Chemistry Lab of the IAL section
As a result of our achievements, faculty and facilities, and the collaborative efforts of the Trinity community, TCK IAL brand will become one of the most sought-after academic properties in the Central Province in time to come. Given the newly refurbished hostel facilities, IALs is bound to attract Colombo and outstation students, as well.
How do you assess the demand for IALs in a market where the education product itself is getting heavily diversified where students are opting out of A/Ls and choosing higher education immediately after O/Ls?
Like I mentioned earlier, ‘education’ needs to cater to changing demands of the student population and emerging global business and lifestyle trends. And more precisely, the modern education needs to cater to this unique category of students who are called the ‘millennials’ and ‘C Generation’ whose aspirations, ambitions, lifestyles, and demands are very dynamic and shifting at an alarming speed. They are very abstract in their thinking, unconventional in lifestyles, and insisting in nature. Therefore, the traditional, routine driven, classroom-based education no longer has an appeal to them, and this is one reason why the students are opting out of A/Ls and choosing more vibrant academic pathways that connects them to globally emerging trends and to their global peer groups.
What we need to understand is the modern youngster is a ‘global student’. Therefore, when we promote Trinity IALs, we are aiming to cater to this unique need gap that we have identified in the market. Trinity College as a seasoned educational institute, has already identified these new needs and trends, and has vigorously put in place systems, resources, partnerships and curriculums in place to capture these ‘rebellious’ groups of students, who are otherwise opting to go for higher education after O/Ls. We are quite positive the ‘Nouveau Trinity’ chapter that is set to unveil with our 150th anniversary celebrations will be a very attractive USP for the ‘millennials’ to choose our IALs, which will be a totally unconventional experience in a moderately conventional surrounding.
An outdoor learning experience for the IAL students
What is there on offer for students who join Trinity IALs in addition to the usual curriculum deliverables? How would you differentiate the TCK IAL product?
Trinity IALs will not be just a venue to complete a child’s secondary education, but a formation ground where a student is exposed to skills, competencies, experiences and values that are necessary to be a ‘smart professional’ in the 4th industrial revolution that’s sweeping across the globe.
A Trinity IAL student just like their peers in the local A/L section will enjoy an array of opportunities in the spheres of curricular and co-curricular activities and will be eligible to be elected in to positions that are available in the school such as school officers, sports captaincies,etc.. In addition, all available infrastructural facilities will be open to the IAL student in his/her journey towards becoming a future professional. In addition to the regular teaching methods, we want to encourage our students to be ‘self-taught’ individuals in academics, which will help them to be more independent and entrepreneurial in the future. We hope our incessant attempts to establish a culture of erudition within the College context will encourage the student towards self-learning and self-reliance in crafting his/her life experiences.
What are the plans to develop the IAL product in the future?
At the outset, we want to further diversify the curriculum providing more opportunities and avenues for the students pursue. Within the next two years we intend to initiate the B.Tec educational council diplomas by Edexcel, which will widen the professional educational scope for the students. In addition, we will be expanding and developing the infrastructure and introduce life/career related experiences to the students in the form of extra-curricular activities.
As Trinity is getting ready for the 150th Anniversary celebrations next year, what are your plans as the new Principal, to elevate the College USPs to cater to the new age educational requirements not forgetting the extra-curricular and other activities?
All our efforts in the new era will have the student’s interests at its core. Our primary effort as we step into the new era is to overcome the dormant linearity in education. What we see today, especially in the local education system is an industrial model that thrives on conformity and standardization.It nurtures ‘followership’ and dissuades ‘leadership’.
The education model of Trinity College has to be and will become organic, making it a celebration of the gift of human imagination and creativity. Hence, we firmly believe that education and learning have to cater to the creative imagination of the child, which will flourish him/her into realising their full human potential. Further, Trinity will aspire to nurture not a mere citizen for Sri Lanka, but a ‘global citizen’ who can withstand and be a part of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 that will see a complete overhaul of human existence in the next few decades.
Our modernisation attempts at Trinity will haveat its heart the physical, intellectual, and emotional development of every child who walks through the gates of the College. Our purpose is to provide the child, the background (both in habit and habitats) to discover themselves fully, so that he/she can recognize their relevance in the world around them.
- Lalanthi Rajapakse