Gateway marks 15th anniversary

by Gayan KANCHANA

Gateway, one of Sri Lanka's largest educational institutions will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year. The institution provides education to local and foreign students.

The organisation has set up four International schools during a short span. A graduate school, IT training centres, English language training centres, speech and drama centres, a software consulting firm and many educational establishments in Sri Lanka. Gateway also has a chain of Kindergartens in Oxford, UK. Gateway's school-based IT programs have been introduced to 12 countries in three continents.

Gateway Group chairman and founder R.I.T Alles said "our students should be down to earth and we don't want snobs passing out from Gateway. They should respect our culture and heritage."

While we charge a nominal fee, we also provide free education to talented students who can't afford to pay fees. Shihan Ambepitiya is one of our products.

When some students are admitted they are unable to speak even a word of English. But after some time they are very comfortable with the language", he said".

Gateway Group Director, Dr. Harsha Alles said, "Even though we are the most recent among the well-established educational institutions in the country, we provide quality education. Our teachers are upto the international standards.

Gateway has taken meaningful steps to inculcate the Sri Lankan Culture, a sense of belonging and love for the nation and respect for its values", he said.

Dr. Alles said "Students are encouraged to engage in a variety of charitable and social service activities. The organisation through its CSR arm - the gateway HANDS foundation has carried out many initiatives.

They include rebuilding of tsunami devastated C.W.W. Kannangara School in Galle. On December 17, 2005, Gateway handed over a newly re-built school to the government.

We were the first organization to complete a fully-fledged school within a year after the tsunami. Recently Gateway took over the Management of Achievers, which is a school for children with learning difficulties," he said.