Point of View:

Who introduced free education?

BY SAVIMON Urugodawatta

UNP Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardene, while explaining the UNP manifesto to the Media, (as reported in The Island of October 6, 2005) is supposed to have said that "it was the UNP that introduced the FREE EDUCATION System, free School books, uniforms and mid day meals and as such, they were most qualified to speak on Education."

It is surprising that the learned MP who is well known for his discourses on any and every subject under the sun is not aware when the UNP was formed.

There was no party called the UNP when Dr. C.W.W.Kannangara introduced FREE EDUCATION system in 1945, after having carried on a relentless struggle against the elitist class.

D. S. Senanayake founded the UNP on the eve of the 1947 Parliamentary elections held under the Soulbury Constitution by gathering a few groups like Sinhala Maha Sabha, Ceylon National Congress and other Tamil and Muslim groups.

The vociferous UNP Parliamentarian, B.G. himself a product of a Central School started by Dr. Kannangara, should have known that most of the predecessors of the present UNP opposed Free Education and Kannangara had to bypass the Legal Draftsman and get the Free Education Bill drafted by Charles Wilfred Perera, (who was a Barrister-at-Law), the legal Assistant in the Education Ministry, because he very well knew that if he gave it to the Legal Draftsman, who was under the influence of the Government, the Bill would never see the light of day.

He even had to wait until D. S. Senanayake left for England for Constitutional discussions to present the Free Education Bill in the State Council.

It is now history that Dr. CWWK was defeated at the 1947 Parliamentary election when he contested Matugama seat, through the combined efforts of both DS and leftists who backed Wilmot A. Perera. It is said that only Dr. E.W.Adikaram campaigned for him.

He was no politician but he, together with Prof. G.P. Malalasekara, Ananda Mevanapalana, A. Ratnayake, E.A. Nugawela, Dr. S.A Wickremasinghe, Dr. N.M.Perera and others championed Kannangara's ideals.

After his defeat, more important provisions of the Free Education Act, such as the establishment of Practical Schools and holding of the 8th Standard Selective Test to direct differently talented youths to appropriate vocations were shelved.

In fact, the problems prevailing in the education sphere as well as the society and economy today could be attributed to the failure to implement Kannangara reforms to the letter and spirit.

I would like to recommend to the learned Parliamentarian, who was involved in the field of education for a long time to read K.H.M. Sumathipala's book, " History of Education in Ceylon " to enlighten himself so that he may not mislead his pupils and the public.