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Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya:
Beacon of virtue and character
K H J Wijayadasa Former Secretary to the President
[Rich tradition]
* Brainchild of P de S Kularatne
* Established in 1940
* Built on land gifted by Anagarika Dharmapala Trust
* Unprecedented growth during G C Edirisinghe’s Principalship
 On a cold and misty morning in January 1946 my mother took me by bus
from our residence at Nawinna to be admitted to the fourth standard in
the newly established big fee levying English school Dharmapala
Vidyalaya in Pannipitiya. On our way I asked my mother why I should not
continue my studies free of charge at the Government Training College
School in Havelock Town which happened to be an English medium school.
She told me that Dharmapala Vidyalaya is a branch school of Ananda
College established to perpetuate the memory of the great national hero
Anagarika Dharmapala and that in due course it would not only be a
repository of academic excellence but also a beacon of virtue and
character. She emphasized that Dharmapala would provide a sound all
round education and equip me to enter the university so that I could
stand on my own feet and be of service to the country.
Dharmapala Vidyalaya had been the brainchild of the great
educationist P de S Kularatne, the then Principal of Ananda College.
Fired by the nationalist and Buddhist revival that swept across the
country in the 19th and 20th Centuries, our school was established in
1940 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society on 18 acres of land gifted for
the purpose by the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust.
Landmark event
Even though the school had started functioning with one permanent
hall and eight cadjan thatched temporary classrooms; by 1946 due to the
energy and enthusiasm of the school management and parents it was
endowed with 12 permanent classrooms and a beautifully landscaped and
well laid out front quadrangle. The assumption of office by G C
Edirisinghe as Principal of Dharmapala in 1947 was indeed a landmark
event in the history of our school. It heralded an era of hitherto
unprecedented growth and development in every field of activity whether
it be quality of teaching, examination results, aesthetics, sports,
oratory, debating or provision of infrastructure. Ten years later in
1955 when I left Dharmapala to enter the University the school had grown
in stature and enhanced its reputation as a leading Buddhist School.
However, the growth momentum of the school was somewhat retarded in the
1960s and the 1970s owing to the take over of denominational schools by
the government and the youth unrest and economic downturn respectively.
Once again in the 1980s and 1990s there was a renaissance in school
activities largely due to the more positive stance taken by the School
Management and the active involvement of the Past Pupils’ Association.
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Newly built swimming pool. Picture by Migara |
Human development
The assumption of office by K G Wimalasena as Principal of Dharmapala
in 2004 has had a positive impact in the management and public relations
aspects of the school. Let me recount some of the positive achievements
of the school in the past few years. In the field of human development
Dharmapala has always given pride of place to producing competent and
balanced students capable of catering to the present and future needs of
the country. In measuring the success of academic education imparted,
examination results are the sole criterion. In 2010 a student of
Dharmapala came first in the island in the Grade Five Scholarship
Examination. In 2004 only 30 Dharmapalians entered the different
Universities in Sri Lanka, but since then the numbers have steadily
increased year by year.
Dharmapala has had a rich tradition of student participation in
numerous extracurricular activities. Both males and females have the
option of selecting what they like from an array of fields such as
sports, aesthetics, scouting, cadetting environmental improvement,
painting etc. As for those students who are talented in dance, song and
music they have an opportunity to showcase their artistic skills every
year at the annual aesthetic festival called Sankalana.
Swimming pool project
Today we witness another valuable addition to the long list of
extracurricular activities available to Dharmapalians. It is a 25 meter
long, six lane Swimming Pool and Water Rescue and Survival Techniques
Training Centre which will be opened by Persident Mahinda Rajapaksa. As
a past pupil of Dharmapala I feel elated that this swimming pool project
has been initiated, planned and executed by the Past Pupils’ Association
at a cost of Rs 29 million, utilizing a generous donation of Rs 14
million by the Taiwan Red Cross, and the balance by parents, past pupils
and well-wishers. The phase two of this project and training programs to
teach Water Survival Life Saving Techniques in collaboration with TRP
are to be commenced in the near future.
ISO standards
Another visionary activity undertaken by the Past Pupils’ Association
is the formulation of the Year 2020 Strategic Plan of Dharmapala. It
will spell out the goals and the implementation strategies in respect of
both student and teacher development, development of curriculum,
development of extracurricular activities, learning facilities and
school management. In fact Dharmapala Vidyalaya presents an ideal
partnership model in school development.
The principal and the staff, the Past Pupils’ Association and the
School Development Society have teamed up with one single objective in
mind namely that of rallying round the school flag in order to make it
fly high above all other school flags in the country. It is as a result
of this type of concerted action that Dharmapala became the first
National School in the island to be awarded the ISO 9001 : 2008
certification having satisfied the stringent quality management systems
and standards. Currently the school management is making every endeavour
to keep abreast of the ISO standards criteria in close collaboration
with the Standards Unit of Education Ministry.
This year Dharmapala will be celebrating its 71st anniversary. In the
field of human development our school has produced thousands of highly
qualified men and women of virtue and character who have excelled in
many different professions and vocations. In the recent long drawn out
struggle to uphold the independence, territorial integrity and
sovereignty of our country the number of Dharmapalians serving in the
Armed Services and Police have far outnumbered those from any other
mixed school in the island.
International levels
In the field of aesthetics our school has produced men of distinction
and unique identity such as Somabandu Vidyapathy, Tissa Abeysekera,
Rohana Weerasinghe and Ravibandu Vidyapathy. In the field of sports too
Dharmapalians have been able to reach national and international levels
amidst stiff competition. The secret of success of Dharmapala lies in
the management skills and dedication to duty displayed by the Principal
and staff; the unwavering loyalty, solidarity and generosity of the Past
Pupils and the obedience and commitment of the students. I feel that
this record of dedication and commitment of two generations of Past
Pupils of Dharmapala Vidyalaya would inspire present and future
generations to follow in their footsteps. |
