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Rahula College, Matara:
Ninety years past a stigma neutralized
Rakhitha HEMAWARDANA
 The year was 1923, when British colonialism was at its peak. English
as a language was dominating the national fabric of Ceylon in every
respect and at all levels, from South to North and East to West. So was
the case, not only in the public service and the private sector, but
also in the homes of a wide Ceylonese community following British
tradition, in preference to the indigenous cultures and oriental
practices. In the tip of the Southern Province, beyond Galle, hardly
could the upcoming generation match these trends without a properly
streamlined English education, as was enjoyed by the more fortunate
children in and around many other cities of the country.
Bridging the gap
 This stigma primarily became the vision of a noble man called F
Gordon Pearce - himself a British, who was the principal of Mahinda
College, Galle-one of Ceylon’s best known educational institutions of
the day.Pearce propelled himself into action to bridge this gap in terms
of English education, between Sinhala children in Matara and those in
Galle.
He spoke to a group of philanthropists from Ruhuna to start a school
in Matara with the prime objective of teaching English. They organised
themselves as the Matara Buddhist Education Society (MBES), with the
popular notary public D T W Rajapaksha as the Secretary, and founded
Parakramabahu School in a small building rented out for the purpose on
the Main Street, Matara.
Great generosity
Pearce in his unparalleled magnanimity offered to release one of his
most committed and dedicated senior teachers called Willimas de silva as
the principal of the new school. Williams de silva earned the respect of
all Southerners then, for the sacrifice he made and risk he took, by
giving up his well-established position in Mahinda College to pioneer a
small unregistered school in Matara.
The Business and industrial magnate of Matara,C A Odiris de Silva and
his family with great generosity offered their valuable property called
Siriwardena Watte where the famous Saram Walawwa was located, to shift
Parakramabahu School to a more spacious premises. With the shift in the
location, there was also the shift in the name, Parakramabahu School
becoming Rahula Vidyalaya. With these major historical events,Rahula was
attracting more and more children, but it somehow remained unregistered
with the Education Department.
Extending his hand
The department, manned by some highest elements of bureaucracy,
instead of recognising the need for the new school, threatened the
parents to take them to courts for sending their children to an
unregistered school. The much-disturbed leadership of the MBES, appealed
to the then legislative council member Forrester Obeysekara for
assistance.
  The white skinned director of education asked Obeysekera “Why Rahula,
when there are other schools in Matara for the children to learn
English?” and the matter ended there.
The good Samaritan Gordan Pearce, who was then resident in India, and
extended his hand of assistance again to Rahula, and through the new
director of education McRay,he was able to register Rahula Vidyalaya
with the government as an Assisted School.
Role of Rahula
With the major hurdles thus cleared, there was no looking back for
Rahula. Year after Year, Chapters and Chapters were written on
innumerable epoch making events that took place within its precints to
the delight of its worthy pioneers. Achievements of Rahula and its
students in the past 90 years have been numerous, multi-faceted and
remarkable. Many of them have become indelible in the national horizon
due to more than one reason. Products of Rahula, with or without
graduation at higher echelons of education, have dominated with
considerable impact a variety of areas ranging from academic fields such
as Engineering, Medicine, Law and Crafts, through industries, Business
and Trade, Sports and Politics and Several others.
Rahulites are active today in all places and in all fields, within
Sri Lanka as well as in many countries of the world.The role of Rahula
and the Rahulites was succinctly translated into a few words by the
Principal, Gurudeva D J Kumarage who masterminded the renaissance of
Rahula in 1937 and worked relentlessly for the glory of the school, as
well for the well being of the students, until he retired in 1956. He
wrote “ it may not be possible for every student to become a government
official or a member of the learned profession, But it is possible for
everyone to become an honest, disciplined and useful citizen, living at
peace with himself, and his fellow human beings, and thereby fulfill the
purpose of life.” |
