Sujatha Vidyalaya, Matara
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Sujatha Vidyalaya, Matara is a secondary school in Matara, Sri Lanka. It is the sister college of Rahula College.
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[edit] Founding
In Matara at the beginning of 20th century, there was a large population of Buddhists, and English education was the fashion. The Matara Buddhist Society took a main role in providing that English education. The energetic co-Secretary of the Society, Mr. Vilmot P. Vijethunga, proposed the necessity of an English education institute as a thought. As a result, Dr. V.D. Gunarathna had took a main role to establishing that proposal.
On 1929 May full moon Poya day, the school was inaugurated with Mr.V.D. Gunarathna, who was the president of the Matara Buddhist Society, as the director.
At the start Sujatha Vidyalaya was a mere sapling of a school when compared to what it has grown to today. In the 70 years since its inception, it has become one of the leading girls schools in the south of the country.
[edit] Early years
Prior to the school shifting to its present site, it was located on a piece of flat coconut plantation at the junctions bordered by the Hakmana Road leading to Veragampita, which is presently occupied by the Department of Agriculture. This land belonged to a to Dr. Gunarathna, president of Matara Buddhist society.
The old building contained the school office, the 3 upper school classes, a small hall, a hostel for the senior girls, and another hostel for the juniors. There were two other semi-permanent structures, which housed the primary section. They had cemented floors, walls made of planks and roofs thatched with cadjan.
Unlike today, boys under 10 years were admitted to the school and were allowed to remain at this school only till they were 10 years old. At the beginning, there were 36 students and the teaching staff consisted of 4. All the students and teachers were Buddhist.
The society introduced Mrs.A.E. Mathives who came from India as the Principal of the school. The girls who wore a white uniform with a blue and gold tie pinned at the collar and the boys wore shorts of navy blue and white shirts. White shoes also belonged to the accouterments for the children of this well integrated small school society.
The medium of instructions was English as was the fashion till 1945 when all schools had to start to revert to the vernaculars. The class texts were imported from England. "Reading and Thinking" was the reader that was used in the Primary section. Sinhala Language was also taught as a subject. In addition to the standard curriculum there was much time devoted to music, dancing and drama. Almost every term ending was marked by a concert, one of which was of so high standard that it was staged at the Broadway Theater.
The school was conducted in two sessions unlike now, with a lunch break of 45 minutes. The sanitary conditions of the school were excellent. As there was no water on tap, a broad well at the back was created for washing purposes.
[edit] Expansion
In 1936, the number of students had increased and therefore the usages of physical properties also were increased. The land and old house, which situated in Gabadaweediya, was converted into a school. It was steadily increased from class to class upward from the lowest.
After the death of Dr.Gunarwardana, the school experienced a difficult period to school as the stability of the society was breaking down with the onset of World War II. However, it was great blessing to the school as Mr.Ariyarathna accepted the managerial post and he made all arrangements to pay salaries for the school teachers from his own money.
Other members of the Buddhist Society and the authors who were took main role to continue the school include
- Mr. E.T.Gunawardana
- Mr. W.P.Vijethunga
- Mr. M.D.T.Kulathilaka
- Mr. D.N.J.Weerasooriya
- Mr. T.F.D.Abegunawardhana
- Mr. C.A.Ariyarathna
- Mr. W.P.A.Wickramasinghe
- Mr. Jorge Weerathunga
- Mr. A.Dayarathna
In 1958 Sujatha Vidyalaya was converted into a government school. Currently Sujatha Vidyalaya, which has the honor of being the first Buddhists' girl's school in Southern Province, has about 5000 students and 188 academic staff, as well as 35 non-academic staff.
[edit] Affiliated institutions
[edit] Sujatha Dhamma School
Sujatha dhamma School was started in 1995 according to an idea of our early principal Mrs. R.Gunawikcrema. Her main purpose was to give an opportunity of gaining Dhamma School facilities to students who stayed in the school hostel. Currently there are about 400 students and 14 in the staff. Hon. Godawela Pamarathana thera works as the principal of Sujatha Dhamma School.
[edit] Sujatha Primary
Sujatha Primary is located in Welegoda. It was established in 1991, at the place where the 'Sudharshana Adarsha Vidyalaya' was. There are classes from grade 1 to grade 5 and about 1500 students with 42 teachers. The current principal of Sujatha Primary is Mr. Samarasinghe.
[edit] Past principals
- Mrs.A.E.Mathives
- Mrs.Doreen Wickramasinghe (Doreen Young)
- Mrs.C.Amirthalingam
- Mrs.Comalan Crain
- Mrs.F.D.Lovel Hestings
- Mrs.M.M.Perera
- Mrs.R.Balasuriya (1942 - 1968)
- Mrs.L.Wedahittha (1968 - 1975)
- Mrs.Windser (1975 - 1976)
- Mrs.D.P.T.Dharmasiri (1977 - 1989)
- Mrs.M.I.Weerathunga (1989 - 1993)
- Mrs.R.N.Amarasinghe (1994 - 2000)
- Mrs.D.Bambarawana (2000 - 2002)
- Mrs.C.H.Pinidiya (2002- )
