Colombo - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There is one international school in particular which is used by the children of all mission staff, called Overseas School of Colombo. They are pretty good, relatively on par with international schools in other countries. There is a French international school, but it is not up to Canadian standards and so it is not used by mission staff. - Mar 2021
Most families send their kids to the Overseas School of Colombo (OSC). It's on par with other international schools. The commute can be far if you live downtown (30 min to an hour each way). But the kids seem to like it ok. Sports and music programs are inadequate in my experience. - Sep 2020
There are quite a few international schools. Most of the Embassy kids go to The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) in Battaramulla, in the outskirts of the city (it can take up to an hour to get to school on the school bus.) A few young kids go to the new Singapore School, which is more centrally located. - Apr 2020
The Overseas School of Colombo is where most embassy families go. It is a great school, preK-12 are offered with many after school activities. The commute to and from school by bus is the only negative in that it can take over an hour in the afternoons for the kids to get home because of so much traffic. However, the school itself has been one of the best experiences of our time in Colombo. - Sep 2017
The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) is where most expat kids attend, who have the money and want the costliest school in the city. Overall I think it is pretty good - I know people who both love and hate it, so hard to say. Our children went to the very small French school. However our kids were young at the time and it worked for them. If your kids are over 13, you might want to consider somewhere else. - Mar 2017
The Overseas School of Colombo offers an IB program--most embassy families are happy with the school. Other schools for expats include the British School and the Colombo International School. - Sep 2013
The Overseas School is quite far out of Colombo so the commute time for students is long. When it floods in Colombo (and it floods all the time) it closes down roads leading to/from the school. - Dec 2011
My children attend the Overseas School of Colombo and they and we absolutely love it. Small IB (PYP, MYP and IB) school, with great management and warm nurturing environment. Highly recommend. There is also a British school, another International school with expats attending: Colombo International School (CIS) and a very small French school. A number of smaller English medium schools also available. - Feb 2010
OSC in Batteramulla is an international IB school from K-12, most expat children go there. Also there is a British school and two locally-based international schools of high academic standard. - Feb 2008
