The Overseas School of Colombo is proud to mark 65 years of advancing a legacy of excellence, celebrating a vibrant past while looking ahead to a bright future. As a vanguard in the realm of education, OSC has the distinction of being Sri Lanka’s first international school and remains the only IB World School in the country. Since its inception in 1957, the School has been home to an ever-growing multi-ethnic community of students and staff hailing from over 40 countries. It is no wonder then, that a core tenet of life here at OSC is the motto “Unity in Diversity”.
This approach of embracing differences and striving to work collectively towards a common goal guides our philosophy of education. Authorised to offer all three International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes, our globally-recognised comprehensive curricula focus on a student’s academic learning as well as their skills in critical thinking and communication. With 63 educators from around the world, more than half with advanced degrees, our aim is to train our students to develop a mindset focused on the future. Academic excellence is consequently important, along with sustained efforts to bridge the gaps between communities as we help pave the way to an inclusive and environmentally-conscious world.
From our Early Years and PYP Programmes through the Middle and High School IB Diploma Programmes, we are determined to guide our students towards being intrepid, compassionate, responsible, and open-minded citizens of the world with an ardent wish to contribute to society on local and global levels. We encourage our students to engage in extracurricular activities such as sports, community service, and the arts to cultivate creativity and a collaborative spirit. Our teachers and students enjoy earnest and friendly relationships, making for a robust school community built on mutual trust.
The School mascot is the Gecko:
a quirky little creature that has delighted generations of students as a symbol of local culture. These critters are found everywhere, and are known to scurry up walls and upside down across ceilings, perfectly exhibiting the kind of intrepid tenacity that is true of the OSC spirit of climbing ever higher. They can even lose a tail and not worry about it—they simply grow a new one! Just like their namesake, our Geckos are dauntless in the face of change.
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