Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya Kelaniya turns 71

Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya, Kelaniya celebrates its 71st anniversary on October 2. The school is synonymous with Buddhist education during the British colonial era and was started by Sir D.B. Jayatilake statesman and Buddhist leader of yesteryear in collaboration with the eminent Buddhist seat of learning Vidyalankara Pirivena Peliyagoda.

It was the Ven. Yakkaduwe Sri Pannarama Thera of the Vidyalankara Pirivena who suggested that a secondary English school should be started in commemoration of the founder of the pirivena Ven. Ratmalane Sri Dharmaloka Nayake Thera to mark the prelate's 50th death anniversary.

The school was started in the premises of the Vidyalankara Pirivena and D.B. Jayatilake started it with a few children and the first Principal was B.A. Kuruppu. Later the eminent newspaper editor D.B. Dhanapala became its principal for some time.

In 1947 the school was taken over by the government and shifted to the present premises. At that time the Member of Parliament for Kelaniya was J.R. Jayewardene who was behind the move to take over the school to the government and it was housed in a property belonging to Madame Elina Jayawardene, the Jasmine Valawwa, Waragoda.

The history of the school is also tied up with the political upheavals of the pre-independent era when it was identified with the Vidyalankara Pirivena where a large number of Buddhist clergy were sympathetic towards the left inclined political parties and were spearheading the national resurgence. The take over of the school to the government was invariably tied up with politics even before the country regained independence.

The school today is one of the leading national schools of the Gampaha District and has around 4,500 students on roll and has a tutorial staff of 165 and has excelled in studies, sports and extra curricular activities. During the mid 1970s the Ven. Attudawe Chandasiri Thera who became the principal brought the school up to a high standard and also was able to develop its physical resources.

The school's Cricket, Rugby, Hockey, Volleyball, Netball and other games also had reached a high standard as well as athletics and indoor games. The school was able to win the Western Province first places in long jump, triple jump and also win the national inter school soccer tournament.

Apart from sports the school had done well in performing arts and fine arts and some of its children have won awards and some of its students were selected for participation in the international art competitions.

The present principal Nimal Jayaweera has been able to bring up the school to a high standard and he constantly obtains the counsel of the Buddhist clergy like the Ven. Welamitiyawe Kusaladhamma Nayake Thera the Chancellor of the Kelaniya University, the Chief Incumbent Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya, Ven. Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhita Nayake Thera following the example of the pioneers who were the Buddhist clergy of yesteryear.

Special religious events will be held to mark the 71st anniversary of the school while a special edition of the school magazines and a FM broadcast D-FM on 96.1 meter, band organized by the school media unit will also go on the air to celebrate the anniversary. (WN)