Handing over of newly re-built C. W. W. Kannangara School

Within a year after the tsunami, Gateway College keeping its promise has built a new school with modern facilities to replace the tsunami devastated C. W. W. Kannangara School in Mahamodara, Galle.

The newly re-built school was handed over to Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake at a ceremony attended by Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, Southern Province Governor Kingsley Wickramaratne, Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijeyalal de Silva and other guests.

Immediately after the tsunami the school's Chairman, R. I. T. Alles and the Directorate were the first to offer to re-build a shattered school. Gateway selected Kannangara school for several reasons, the most important being that the school was neglected with minimal facilities.

The management, parents, teachers, past pupils and students of Gateway together with the school community of the Kannangara School restored the damaged buildings and made sure that the school re-commenced sessions, along with all other schools on January 10. The school uniforms, shoes, books, etc. were provided to all children.

Later, having signed an agreement with the Education Ministry, Gateway was the first to start the re-construction of a damaged school.

They did exactly a month after the tsunami when they laid the foundation stone for the new premises on January 26. Schools, organisations and people of all walks of life, locally and internationally contributed to the "Gateway fund for school in need" set up to facilitate the re-building process.

While readers of the Daily Mail UK, made the major contribution there were many schools from UK, USA, Europe, Australia and Africa who joined hands with Gateway for this venture. In Sri Lanka too, there were many well-wishers who joined Gateway.

Alles said this is only the beginning of a life-long relationship with C. W. W. Kannangara School. He said the school will remain a State-owned school but Gateway will do all that it takes to make it a model school that offers state-of-the-art education.

He considers it a privilege to offer Gateway's services to a school that is named after the father of free education. Over the last year, there had been several activities where students and teachers of both Gateway and Kannangara interacted well and the two schools already function as one family.