Educationist par excellence

Reminiscing on founder Principal of Devi Balika:

Nelum GAMAGE

Founders Day of Devi Balika Vidyalaya will be commemorated tomorrow, January 15. The objective of the founders was to provide an education to enable its students to fulfill their potential and to meet responsibilities to the community in keeping with the school motto

-‘Those who are disciplined in mind are wise’

The Late Dr Wimala de Silva was an educationist par excellence who was selected in the year 1953 to head the newly established Government Girls’ College Colombo 8 (which later was renamed Devi Balika Vidyalaya).

The thinking behind the establishment of this new school was on a recommendation of the then Director of Education, H W Howes “to ensure that ability has an equal chance of being discovered and developed whatever may be the economic and social environment of the individual”.

The structure of the school was to be a collegiate one with the school being confined to classes above standard eight and provided with a variety of courses in Science, Arts and Domestic Science. When the idea of establishing a school incorporating the above ideals was mooted, the Late Dr Wimala de Silva who was the principal of Government Girls’ College, Maliyadeva was the obvious choice of the Director of Education and the others in the Education circles, to head the new school.

Human resources

The challenge to Mrs Silva as principal of this school in her own words was “that this government girls’ school should be able to hold its own, if not surpass the best private schools in the country”. To her this challenge was “an exhilarating one”. The expectations were high and human resources so limited. But undaunted with all these obstacles, she with the capable and committed band of teachers surpassed the expectations of all!

The present generation who complain the lack of this or that to carry out any task could learn many a lesson from the manner this capable lady resolved problems confronting her on a day to day basis.

To begin with the buildings of the school had much to be desired. The buildings had been originally built for a Boy’s Junior School and lacked special necessities to cater for the adolescent girls. But these defects were somehow overlooked without harassing parents, as is the current practice.

There was no proper hall/ stage for the annual school concert. She was keen to resolve this problem by getting an open-air theatre built in the school grounds. The open-air theatre was an idea of Mrs Silva and Ms Jezima Ahamed (now Ismail).

But the school works engineer could not understand the idea of an open-air theatre. Mrs Silva somehow located and engineer L I de Silva in the Irrigation Department through the then Deputy Director of Irrigation Ahamed who happened to be the father of Ms Ahamed. Engineer de Silva worked closely with her and made the dream of having an open-air theatre to materialise in quick time and at a minimum cost! The first production to be staged had been A Midsummer Night’s Dream trained by Jezima Ahamed (now Ismail) and Rhona Candappa.

School premises

It is indeed a wonder how the Late Dr Wimala Silva tackled all her problems without ever raising her voice but in a very firm manner.

A story that is oft repeated is how she tackled the ‘Kasippu gang leader’ in the area! She has vividly described this in her memoirs Those Phoenix Days’. The gang leader - a red eyed burly man had called over at her office in the late evening to confront her as to why the Shramadana - students had destroyed his Kasippu bottles that were hidden in the rainwater drain running through the school premises. He had warned her that ‘they’ would make life impossible for her. But she had calmly and spontaneously answered him... “To tell them (that is the Kasippu brewing ones) that my husband is from Balapitiya”! The man had made a quick exit.

In fact when the school opened on January 15, 1953 the school lacked a Science lab and also teachers for Physics and Chemistry. Without lamenting on these practical deficiencies or waiting for the problems to be resolved, she in her usual calm manner discussed the serious issue with her husband the Late Dr S L de Silva, the then Technical Education and Training Director.

Permission was obtained through the proper channels and arrangements were made for the students to use the Technical College Lab at Maradana and also for two experienced teachers from the Technical College to tutor the students in Physics and Chemistry.

Amidst all the practical difficulties relating to teachers, buildings etc, the late Dr Wimala de Silva gave equal importance to extra curricular activities from the very beginning of the establishment of the school. In this respect she was able to get the services of the Late Sesha Palihakkara for oriental dancing.

The foundation laid by Sesha Palihakkara continued in the years to come. He continued with his classes until a permanent teacher was appointed. This quality of facing challenges and resolving them immediately shows the characteristic of Mrs Silva who never waited for ‘things to happen’. But adopted measures to resolve problems without burdening the parents or students! This was a special feature that characterized her actions.

Primary objective

To Ms Silva her primary objective was for her students not only to achieve excellence in academia but also to be well equipped to fit society in all aspects when they leave school. To this end emphasis was laid for Domestic Science for the girls as well as Current Affairs to widen the horizon of the students. A Mock Election held prior to the general Election of the year 1956 was the highlight of the activities related to current affairs. Classroom study of the need for elections and the policies of the mock major political parties preceded the conduct of this Mock Election. Candidates were chosen. Parts of the school grounds marked out for meetings and named Galle Face Green, Hyde Park, Campbell Park. This was to introduce the children for adult life that was to follow in a few years time.

Good citizens

This Mock Election was followed by another in the sixties.

Mrs Silva was always assisted by her husband the Late Dr S L de Silva. Both of them looked into the needs of deserving students who did not come from affluent backgrounds. During her years as Principal of Devi she did not hold a single School Prize Giving. To her a student who does satisfactory work amidst difficult circumstances had to be given more recognition than another from an affluent background who would fare better. This analysis may or may not be acceptable but it reflects her concern and humane nature to deserving students.

To Mrs Silva honesty, integrity in her staff and her students was a priority factor. Family influence of students never had an effect on her.

There was no 'gift-giving' to teachers. The greatest gift the students could give the teachers was to become good citizens of Mother Lanka. It is to this end that Mrs Silva moulded her students from day one she took office as principal of this fledgling school.

According to Mrs Silva during those early years in the 1950's 'female empowerment' were not a catch phrase. Nevertheless this concept had been instilled in her during her school days at Newstead College, Negombo that girls' schools had a responsibility to equip young people to their role in life.

She was conscious of her responsibility of this aspect towards her students and invited eminent women of that era Ezlyn Deraniyagala, Dr Mary Ratnam, Sylvia Fernando amongst others to speak to her girls. To impart value education to her students as well as the personality development of her students was important to her as much as their academic development.

Extra curricular activities

To get to know 'others' and other 'cultures' were equally important as academic studies and extra curricular activities. She took about 50 students by train on a trip to Jaffna in the mid sixties. On the journey to Jaffna a couple of days were spent in Anuradhapura and the journey continued by train to Jaffna. The students were lucky to participate at a traditional wedding ceremony of a past Devi student from Jaffna. The trip was made to coincide with her nuptials.

Her activities outside Devi are too numerous to mention. But a few of them are highlighted to emphasize her contribution to sectors other than Devi.

She was the first woman to be Sectional (Social Science) President of the Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science, President of the Sri Lanka Federation of University of Women and Council Member of the International Federation of University Women. She created history by becoming the first woman to be appointed as a Chancellor of a University in Sri Lanka - Sri Jayawardenepura University. She was proud of this appointment as her work was recognized and she had proved herself!

Her courage and enthusiasm were unparallel!

After her early retirement in 1968 she willed herself to complete her PhD study which she had commenced way back in 1950. She did succeed in this and was very happy for having completed an 'unfinished task'. She started her memoirs at age 80 and it was published after three years in the 2004 when she was 83 years of age. Lessons for all of us!

Religious practices

In concluding this it is only apt to quote one of the early students of Devi, Myrtle Perera in a letter to Mrs Silva, who has been quoted by Mrs Silva in her memoirs. This was with reference to 'Sil' days at Devi.

"Sil days were important not only to Buddhists but also for non-Buddhists, a mix of Christian Hindu and Muslim students. These students had to provide Upasthana to those observing Sil. In between the Upasthana duties the non-Buddhists exchanged religious knowledge and religious practices. The Christians sang well-known hymns. The camaraderie had been incredible. All these activities had taken-place under the wide spread jam tree at the furthest end of the school premises so as not to disturb the meditation going on inside the school hall."

Myrtle Perera ends her story at Devi with this concluding remarks "We at Devi learned not only to tolerate differences but also top appreciate them. Thus our lives were enriched".

Myrtel questions herself...'am I fanatatising in my old age dreaming of a Utopia or did these things really take place? But when I meet teachers of that day and their ability still to advice, I realize I am not speaking of a dream world but of what did take place".

To the present day Devi students as well as students and teachers of the present generation.....It is in each of us to learn from this lady of yesteryears and not only dream of but try to create a Utopia!

(References: Those Phoenix Days by Wimala de Silva and to the numerous conversations of the writer with Mrs Silva and also to life at Devi of the writer in the mid sixties)