As the friend and Chief Advisor to this wonderful group of schools in Sri Lanka can I offer my congratulations to the Lyceum family on this special anniversary of Lyceum’s foundation. Over the last seven years, I have had the great good fortune to visit Sri Lanka on several occasions to see, at first hand, the wonderful work in each of the schools. The children and young people who are lucky enough to attend the Lyceum Group receive a first-class education with opportunities now to progress to a university founded by the family.

The governance of the university, its central council on which I’m privileged to sit, is composed of academics and leading educators in Sri Lanka. The council has the important task of carefully guiding Lyceum’s first tertiary institution through these early years to ensure strong foundations are built for future growth and development. They are determined to succeed and they will!!! This is such an exciting venture and one which will complement the great work in the schools.

Students in the Lyceum Schools can now look forward to progressing to a brand-new University in Colombo on a purpose-built campus with all the study and recreational facilities of a modern, internationally competitive college. Indeed, international links have already been forged with successful universities abroad so that students can be offered the full range of degree courses and undergraduate provision.

The University and its Campus are an outward sign and symbol of the ambition and drive of this wonderful family which has already done so much for the young people of Sri Lanka. Never content to rest on their laurels, the Lyceum family is as determined as ever to grow the network as a model of excellence in the country. The Covid Pandemic could not vanquish their spirit nor could the recent economic problems in the country. The students are back in school and life in the Lyceum Group is returning to normal.

This is good news for the families of the students but also for a country which needs strong educational institutions more than ever before. The young people of this beautiful country are its future. They, therefore, need to see that Sri Lanka is investing in them through a strong education system which gives them hope and confidence. Go to any classroom in any one of the Lyceum Schools and you will see this investment and, as a result, you will see hugely confident and articulate students, proud of their achievements and proud of their school. This bodes well for the future of the country. I look forward to visiting again in the Autumn of this year and lighting a candle on the thirtieth birthday cake of the Lyceum Group. Happy birthday and many, many congratulations to the Lyceum family.

Sir Michael Wilshaw

Former Chief Inspector of Schools in the UK and Chief Advisor to Lyceum International School, Sri Lanka