Lankan teacher receives ‘Teachers of Physics Award’ in UK
January 14, 2011 10:54 am
The Institute of Physics (IOP) UK has awarded one of the “Teachers of Physics Award 2010” to a teacher of Sri Lankan origin at the Liverpool College. Priyankara Gunawardena is the first Asian recipient of the award, the British High Commission in Colombo said today.
Mr. Gunawardena was born in Sri Lanka and studied at Seevali College, Ratnapura and D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo, later graduating from the University of Colombo with an honours degree in Physics. After teaching at the University of Colombo and several international schools, he migrated to the UK in 2001 when he was offered a teaching position by an inner London school.
In 2002, he joined the Liverpool College and has been there since, building a successful career for himself. He is married with two children; the entire family obtained British citizenship a few years ago.
Gunawardena praises the quality of UK education system very highly. “When it comes to the university education, the UK has many of the world’s best universities. At the post-graduate level, too, British universities are second to none in the world and a large number of international students enrol for a variety of academic courses,” he said.
Commenting on the education opportunities for Sri Lankans in UK, Acting British High Commissioner, Mark Gooding, said “I congratulate Priyankara on his exceptional achievement, which exemplifies the strong UK-Sri Lanka links in education.”
The Teachers of Physics awards, instituted in 1986, celebrate and reward the success of teachers who, by their outstanding practice in the classroom have raised the state of physics and science in schools, and are given to schoolteachers in secondary education. The IOP selected 6 persons including Mr. Gunawardena for 2010 as the winners of the Teachers of Physics award.
Mr. Gunawardena was born in Sri Lanka and studied at Seevali College, Ratnapura and D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo, later graduating from the University of Colombo with an honours degree in Physics. After teaching at the University of Colombo and several international schools, he migrated to the UK in 2001 when he was offered a teaching position by an inner London school.
In 2002, he joined the Liverpool College and has been there since, building a successful career for himself. He is married with two children; the entire family obtained British citizenship a few years ago.
Gunawardena praises the quality of UK education system very highly. “When it comes to the university education, the UK has many of the world’s best universities. At the post-graduate level, too, British universities are second to none in the world and a large number of international students enrol for a variety of academic courses,” he said.
Commenting on the education opportunities for Sri Lankans in UK, Acting British High Commissioner, Mark Gooding, said “I congratulate Priyankara on his exceptional achievement, which exemplifies the strong UK-Sri Lanka links in education.”
The Teachers of Physics awards, instituted in 1986, celebrate and reward the success of teachers who, by their outstanding practice in the classroom have raised the state of physics and science in schools, and are given to schoolteachers in secondary education. The IOP selected 6 persons including Mr. Gunawardena for 2010 as the winners of the Teachers of Physics award.
