This article is being published in view of the 17th Anniversary celebrations of the Central Colleges Past Pupils’ Association:

Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara’s unfulfilled vision

Savimon Urugodawatta

Sri Lanka is a country that has undergone numerous vicissitudes in its colonial history beginning from the invasions of Portugese in 1505, Dutch in 1639 and the British in 1796.

It was as a result of the sufferings undergone by the people of this country that various struggles were launched against the Colonial Regimes which ultimately culminated in gaining of Independence on February 4, 1948.

Among those National patriots who were in the vanguard of these struggles, late Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, respected as the Father of Free Education, occupies a special place. His endeavours spread far and wide, not merely confining to the Education field, but also in the Temperence Movement, Workers’ struggles, Local Government Reforms, National Movement, Constitutional Reforms etc.

He started his social activities as a practising lawyer at the Galle Bar, where he appeared free for those local leaders taken into custody by the Colonial Government in the wake of Anti-Muslim riots.

From the time he entered the Legislative Council in 1923, his one aim was to plan and design a System of Education which is suited to the prevailing social situation of the country.

In this endeavour, he carried on several experiments by setting up rural schools, starting from Handessa in the Kandyan District.

The system of education he designed was rooted in the Culture and history and the Social Environment of the country, which, even at that time consisted of various nationalities, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Malays etc.

His vision was to develop the country and the society as a whole, irrespective of caste, creed and social status. He equally worked for the Sinhalese, Tamils, Estate Tamils. Muslims and Burghers, treating all of them as sons of the soil.

It is to perpetuate and propagate his Vision and Mission that our Association was formed early in 1960, with his full blessings.

Thereafter, although the Association was confronted with numerous obstacles, it was later revived under the able leadership of late Vipula Dharmawardhana in 1992 and since then, we have been carrying on numerous projects to perpetuate the Kannangara Vision and for the uplift of the 54 Central Colleges he established as the Corner Stones of the Free Education System in this country.

We have been commemorating him annually between 23 of September (day of his demise) and October 13 (his birthday) in one of the Central Colleges and also we regularly bring out the Annual issue of Arunalu to coincide with the commemoration.

Today, not only the products of the Central Schools but also those who had their education in other Government and Government - assisted schools in this country have come up in life and hold lucrative places in the mother country as well as in foreign countries, thanks to the untiring efforts of Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, the Doyen of Education, whose efforts and vision were appreciated not only in this country but also in India and other Asian countries.

Now that the National Education Commission is in the process of drafting a New Education Act to replace all Education Acts promulgated since 1939 up-to-date, it is our considered view that Kannangara’s Vision and Mission in the sphere of education deserves re-thinking and re-orientation to serve the present educational needs and the current situation.

While overall Educational Policy is considered to be the domain and the responsibility of the Government as recognised by the UNESCO, it is absolutely essential to draft and enforce guidelines to regularise the other Educational Institutions that have come up in the recent past by way of establishing a Regulatory Authority.

In hindsight, it is reasonable to assume that, had Kannangara been able to fulfill his vision and his successors followed suit on his missions, they would have taken a leaf from the Kannangara vision and established schools based on the Central Schools concept in the 250 Divisional Secretariat divisions of the country, as Centres of higher learning, which would have ultimately solved the problem of entering children to the so-called Popular Schools and students would have been able to lead their lives, devoid of stress and resultant health problems.

The Central College Past Pupils’ Association of Sri Lanka, which is dedicated to perpetuate Kannangara Vision in Education will be holding its 17th Anniversary from 9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. on the 23rd of March, 2008, at Sanhinda Reception Hall, at Stanley Tillekeratne Mawatha, Nugegoda presided over by its President, Walter Marasinghe.

This occasion will be graced by the presence of three Pioneer Principals who are still living among us, namely, Messrs T.C.J. Ekanayake (Pelmadulla), M.B. Ratnayake (Bibile) and R.L.N. de Soysa (Anuradhapura).

The student who scored highest marks at the last year’s Grade 5 Scholarship Examination from Horana, who has now been admitted to Taxila Central College, Horana will also be felicitated on this occasion.