Prof Nandadasa Kodagoda’s contribution to education

Dr Hemamal Jayawardena

Its hard to believe that 14 long years have passed since the demise of my dear teacher, Prof. Nandadasa Kodagoda. It was just the other day, that I quoted some of his work when I had a lecture at a training programme for police officers on protecting women and children from abuse. I emphasized the seminal work done by him to introduce reproductive health education to school going children.

Though he is no more with us, I thought it is opportune time to review some the memories I have of him. I also thought it will be useful for us to remember some of the lessons he taught me as a young doctor at that time, which, I am sure will be much useful to many, who were not that fortunate, having to live in a world without him.

Introduction of reproductive health education as a UNFPA consultant was not the only work he pioneered. Professor Kodagoda, while stressing the importance of English showed us that it is most important not to give up the mother tongue in our scientific work. He was probably the most renowned scientist of Sri Lanka at that time who could write eloquently on topics of scientific interest in the Sinhala language. He did this not only related to the science of medicine but in many other spheres as well.

Professor Kodagoda had his primary education at Galle. He was in an out of the Pirivenas and was very close to the bhikkus as a young man. His excellent command of the mother tongue was perhaps a result of this.

As a postgraduate student, I often had the opportunity to be very close to Professor Kodagoda. He let me use his office room to do my studies and references, an asset not many people had access to. The most valuable gift I received from him, however, probably came as conversations, not with me, but as ones I overheard him having with various academics, journalists, lawyers and other social scientists.

Once I recall him taking to a journalist on his views on education. He was trying to convince the journalist that the purpose of going to school was not just to read books or sit for examinations. He emphasised that it’s the school that builds character into many a person. He said that during the very young days, the child is most influenced by the parents with whom the child lives. But after going to school, many things change. One such thing is the number of hours the child spends with the parents. This becomes less and the child spends more and more time in school. When this happens, the child gets more influenced by the teachers and his or her peer students, more than from parents. I recently realised this first-hand when my own daughter valued what the teacher said to her than what her mother or father did. The teacher had explained to her the importance of coming to school early, which changed her behaviour, whereas she did not seemed to take seriously when I had said the same some months ago. The same is sometimes true when peer students influence children. Therefore, this message is for the teachers - You have a great responsibility in building the character of your students. Remember that they are looking at you to emulate you. The way you treat your children in school may ultimately decide whether they will develop strong or backward personalities, whether they will be independent and self reliant or whether they will be dependent and social liabilities.

He was a strong opponent of corporal punishment in schools. He taught us that positive reinforcement of a behavior by praising the good things a child does is always better than hitting a child for to discourage undesirable behavior. While some say that its in the own interest that parents and teachers hit children, he strongly believed that teachers hit more because they are angry than to correct children. He proved this point by challenging teachers to while they are not burning in anger.

Prof. Kodagoda himself often visited schools to talk about various subjects that are relevant to youth and adolescents. He was a father figure wherever he went.

To be continued