Gateway College has launched a new Teacher Exchange Programme with Wilderness School in Adelaide, Australia, creating opportunities for educators from both countries to share classroom practices, strengthen professional development and explore new approaches to teaching and learning.
The partnership has particular significance for Gateway through its relationship with SACE International and the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE).
Gateway became the first school in Sri Lanka and South Asia to introduce SACE International in 2022, following an agreement with the SACE Board of South Australia. The qualification is now offered at Gateway College campuses in Colombo, Kandy and Negombo, according to SACE International’s current school network.
As part of the exchange, two Gateway teachers travelled to Adelaide in August, spending time at Wilderness School observing lessons, meeting teachers and students, engaging with the leadership team and experiencing the school’s approach to education first-hand.
Established in 1884, Wilderness School is Adelaide’s oldest independent girls’ school and provides education from the early years through to Year 12, including boarding opportunities.
The school also has a strong record in the South Australian Certificate of Education. In its 2025 graduating cohort, 21 per cent of students were placed in the top one per cent nationally, 65 per cent in the top five per cent and 80 per cent in the top 10 per cent.
For the Gateway educators, however, the exchange went beyond academic results.
One of the key observations was Wilderness School’s emphasis on student agency, with pupils encouraged from an early stage to express ideas, make decisions and progressively take greater responsibility for their own learning.
Gateway teachers said the experience demonstrated how professional collaboration, thoughtful guidance and student independence could work together to strengthen classroom learning and student outcomes.
The visit also provided an opportunity to reflect on practices already in place at Gateway while identifying ideas that could be adapted to further enhance the student experience in Sri Lanka.
Teacher exchanges have become an increasingly valuable part of international education partnerships because they allow educators to see how different school systems approach curriculum delivery, classroom engagement, assessment and professional learning.
Wilderness School’s senior students study a range of SACE Stage 1 and Stage 2 subjects, with Year 12 results contributing towards the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank used for entry to universities and other tertiary institutions in Australia.
The Gateway-Wilderness partnership will become fully reciprocal in January 2027, when Gateway College is scheduled to welcome two teachers from Wilderness School to Sri Lanka.
Their visit is expected to create further opportunities for classroom observation, professional dialogue and the sharing of teaching practices between the two schools.
The exchange also reflects the wider international focus of the SACE network, which supports professional learning and collaboration among schools delivering the Australian qualification overseas. SACE International says its support for partner schools includes teacher training, professional learning and resources aimed at strengthening student and teacher performance.
For Gateway College, the initiative represents more than an overseas professional development opportunity. It creates a two-way learning relationship in which teachers from Sri Lanka and Australia can exchange ideas, challenge established approaches and bring new perspectives back into their classrooms.
At its centre is a simple objective: when teachers learn from one another across borders, students ultimately stand to benefit.