NCEF to complete 20 years at Mulleriyawa

E. WEERAPPERUMA

Discipline and the high level of education imparted by the private sector schools, especially the Catholic schools have a greater attraction and the parents despite their religious differences show keen interest to send their children to those schools, Mulleriyawa National Children’s Educational Foundation (NCEF) Chairman Ven. Bandagiriye Somawansa Thera told the Daily News.

On our part having realised the existing demand for such an educational milieu, we have taken pains to meet the demand.

He said the Foundation will mark the completion of 20 years of service to the Nation in January, next year. The Education Institute was shifted to the present location in the Mulleriyawa New Town in January 1988. The institute will also form an association of past students who are now employed in both State and private sector to pass down their experience to the posterity.

The Thera said the parents were confident that their children would receive better education with high degree of discipline at Catholic schools.

“We have stepped into the education field with the aim of providing that standard of education and the discipline. The massive demand to enrol children to this institute proves that we have succeeded in our efforts. We have 34 child-centred educational institutions islandwide to carry forward our vision based on nationalistic philosophy and Sri Lanka culture,” the Thera said.

Recalling the hard times he had in the face of heavy opposition when he wanted to begin a school in the locality with the support of donors both local and foreign, and the step-motherly treatment received, the Thera said looking back he could feel modestly proud of his achievements.

“I am happy having seen the end results of my efforts. Because we have proved that we are worth trying, the State allowed us to run this as a private school. This is the only private school added to the list of schools allowed to run as private by the State at the time of school take-over. We now have classes from kindergarten to the GCE Advanced Level,” he added.

Explaining the reason behind the success of the private schools, the Thera went on to say that there was discipline from top to bottom in the private sector schools. Parents know that in the private sector schools those in authority will supervise the work of the teachers. They see to it that the teachers follow instructions, submit their work report at every term and cover the whole syllabus.

The teachers cannot get involve in other matters ignoring their main duty. If they want to survive they have to do a thorough job. So there is discipline and guarantee of good education. “According to statistics today we are among the schools giving the best results,” he added.

The Thera also said that moulding the character of students from their tender years was an important factor than getting the kids to learn to write and read.

“It is a question of allowing the children to live fully their childhood as children and help to grow, socialize and involve themselves in activities, and make room for them to display their talent in sports and skills and also to share what they have with others.

These will in the long run help to lay the foundation to build a person with strong character and integrity. This is what we have been doing in the past two decades and we have received tangible results. The very fact of the State recognition as a Centre for Model of Education is itself an achievement.”

The National Children’s Educational Foundation has separate units for children educations, classes from Grade one to HSC, Child Information Centre with the support of JAICA and Shiaikyokai Society, Training Centre for the unemployed, a House of Children Abandoned, Leadership Training unit and centre for conducting seminars.