There is a rumor in the country about Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo. With the submission of a Cabinet Paper on the establishment of an GCE Advanced Level Science and Mathematics Additional Division in the premises of Sri Wijayarama College, Udahamulla, Nugegoda and the appointment of a Sub Committee.
Devi Balika Vidyalaya has a history of about 60 years. This school was started by Mrs. Deshabandu Wimala de Silva in 1953 at Castle Street as a girls’ school and is one of the most popular schools in Sri Lanka today.
Dhammika Perera, Chairman of the renowned Business DP Education Foundation, has agreed to provide a grant of Rs. 100 million to the school and a portion of the school will have to be relocated to Udahamulla.
According to the Devi Balika Protection Organization, Dhammika Perera, Dilith Jayaweera and Madura Vithanage, a local politician who had entered Udahamulla Wijayarama Vidyalaya illegally, broke the keys of a small gate behind it and inspected the school premises. The principal and staff said.
All the teachers, students and parents of Wijayarama Vidyalaya recently protested against the attempt to take over their school claiming that it was a closing school. The Devi Balika Vidyalaya says that the principal of the Devi Balika Vidyalaya, who is the chairperson of the Old Boys’ Association and the School Development Society, is cursing the entire Devi Balika for the misconduct of the members.
Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Borella should be established on the existing site, it does not need branches and the school should not be divided in any way. If the school is to be developed, it should be developed within the school premises with the money expected from Mr. Dhammika Perera. .
The organization held a press conference in Nugegoda recently to inform the media about this. Addressing the media, Dr. Dayani Panagoda, Chairperson of the Devi Balika Protection Organization, said that education is a privilege that should be enjoyed by all and focused on the selection of the Devi Balika Vidyalaya for development and thereby facilitating another school in some way. They expect an answer as to the basis on which we chose the school.
In addition, some allege that her organization is trying to sabotage the program at a time when the school has a great opportunity, but she points out that this is not true.
Speaking on the occasion, Jayanthi Pinnagoda, former Principal and Senior Educational Officer of the College, said that it was not known through any of our alumni that Devi Balika was being taken to another school premises to improve the Mathematics and Science sections of the school. It would have been better if the school had called for a discussion on this first, but such a thing did not happen.
People say that there is an idea to take this school to another place and develop it, but it is not a good thing.
Mrs. Kalyani Lakshman who was the Principal of the college said,
I was the principal of Devi Balika Vidyalaya from 1995 to the end of 2004.
In fact, we as former principals do not even know why the status quo has developed so far. It is learned that the principal of Devi Balika Vidyalaya has realized that the two sections of science and mathematics, namely the science section, need to be developed. At that time we also realized that it would be better to increase the number of students. But we were limited to selecting the top students from those who qualified. The principal has stated that she is proposing to take a section of students who have passed the GCE Ordinary Level examination to Wijayarama College in Udahamulla and conduct classes there and give them a science and mathematics education. I did not talk to the principal about this. Other sources make it clear that the practice was criticized as shameful. Then, as soon as this year’s GCE Ordinary Level results are released, a group of children will be brought there and this program will be implemented. It says many things .He has said that he is ruling under the same principal.
The Minister of Education also mentions that Devi Balika is a branded school. So it was a branded school, I think, because it’s been a branded school since the days of the founding principal.
I am happy about this huge support from outside. I also appreciate that the principal’s intentions are very good. But the problem we have is that the school stakeholders are not informed about this. All this is happening without discussing it with anyone. When we work all the time, according to Devi culture, we ask ex-principals we respect, “What are we going to do, what are we going to do something new, what are your thoughts on that? “It simply came to our notice then. But in this case, even the alumni do not know about this, let alone talk to us. Only when everything is done on a legal, law-abiding basis will he find out.
So I propose to build new buildings on the existing school premises without splitting the college in two. I think our boys’ schools in Colombo also have 7 storey buildings. Alumni are willing to do such a thing if they do, and facilitate the rapid increase in the number of students.
One of the alumni of the college, Senior Professor Preethi Udugama of the Faculty of Science of the University of Colombo said,
I am very sorry about the current situation. In 2018, I served as the Vice President of the College Past Pupils Association. That’s why I think almost everyone knows me. But I am not here today as someone who represents the Alumni Association.
I’m always doing something new, someone who likes to think in a new way when doing something new. But I know there are obstacles when doing something new. Such questions come up. I appreciate this project as a teacher. But by diluting the brand of a school at once, there is no moral right to set up another branch of the same school without any discussion by one person only. Because a school is not just about the principal. I have a lot of respect for the current principal. I have talked to her about this. She has done a tremendous service to the school over the years.
But at this juncture, with such a huge leap forward, the former principals, teachers and alumni here, as professionals in all walks of life, have discussed this with a few of us. .
For me, the problem many of my friends have is why they can’t build a building on this land with this money. I don’t think anyone can say that school culture is useless. The school culture shows the quality of the child who goes out of school. Therefore, there is no need to do this in one land, in another land, under the same principal. Not really essential.
Our sisters are allied in all countries including the United States, Canada, England and Australia as sponsors of the Devi Balika Alumni Association. With the help of all of them we can develop the college. We too have the strength to do this. So either allow us to do that. Or don’t take this! that is all!
Do not break my plea to these two schools! With this quality, we keep our brand here and take 100 or 200 more girls to school if we need to. That same day I made this proposal to the principal. I may be a very young person here, but the Ministry of Education could have put together a good pilot project and done it beautifully. Doing it in a hurry is another problem for us. The other is we don’t need surprises.