free education unit
In 1995 the first one world foundation – free education unit was established for about 100 pupils in Wathuregama, a fishing village 80 km south of the capital Colombo. In 2001 the Preschool unit followed in Katuwila (about 5 km inland from Wathuregama). By 2004 education provision had been expanded several times and the school facilities accordingly extended so that capacity was raised to up to 700 pupils before the tsunami of 26 December 2004 destroyed the school in Wathuregama.
A new and larger school campus was constructed on land acquired by the foundation in Ahungalla (about 2 km inland from Wathuregama) in 2005/06 and was opened in December 2006. Together with the school in Katuwila the owf – free education unit now offers the following education programmes from preschool up to occupational training for about 1,000 pupils and trainees:
- Preschool unit for approx. 150 children
- English unit for approx. 500 pupils
- Computer unit for approx. 200 pupils
- Women’s Cooperation for approx. 60 women
- Primary education unit for approx. 50 pupils
- Music unit for approx. 25 pupils
- Sports unit for approx. 50 pupils
- Tamil unit for approx. 50 pupils
A total of 31 teachers work at the owf – free education unit, and teaching is supplemented with regular visits from volunteers from abroad. The owf works with state organisations in Sri Lanka (“NAITA – National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority”, “TVEC – Tertiary & Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka for Computer Courses”) in order to be able to award internationally recognised certificates to graduates.
Several times per year pupils, parents and teachers organise school festivities together which encourage cooperation and a feeling of belonging beyond ethnic and religious boundaries and which form the highlights of the school year. |
