 Namasivayam eventually received the Colombo Plan Scholarship award to study art, along with four other trainee teachers Inche Suri Bin Mohyani, Chew Fook Chun, Seah Teow Puan and Sim Tong Khern, and left for Sydney on 11 March 1957.Upon graduation, Namasivayam returned to Singapore in August 1961.Upon his return he taught at various schools including Crescent Girls' School and Gan Eng Seng School.