P de S K

Mr. Patrick de Silva Kularatne ... ***

PdeS Kularatne Was born on 31 March 1893 in Ambalangoda to a middle class family. First educated at the local Sinhala School – Devananda Vidyalaya. Subsequently he moved to Buddhist English school at Patabendimulla, now known as Dharmasoka College. At the end of 1905 when he completed his 7th standard examination his father enrolled him at Richmond College in Galle, which formed a major role in forming his character and inspiring him to dedicate his life to Buddhist education. Hard work discipline and dedication made him the 1st boy in class throughout his school carrier at Richmond. His exceptional record at Richmond also includes being the college librarian, vice president of the literary association and eventually head prefect even though he was not a Christian. There was hardly any subject in the college curriculum for which he did not carry off a prize at the annual prize giving.

In 1909 he won the open mathematics prize defeating senior boys. In 1910 he won the Ceylon Mathematics Prize awarded to the candidate who scored the highest marks in pure, advanced and applied mathematics at the all island examination. The school got a holiday to celebrate his success. He also won the Parker scholarship at Richmond awarded on the life of Jesus and Christian doctrine. After obtaining a 1st class in the Cambridge Junior local exam in 1909 he followed up in Cambridge senior local examination with a 1st class with distinctions in Latin and maths. At the London Intermediate exam in 1911 he secured a 1si class with distinctions in Greek and mathematics, but failed to win a government scholarship, as it was awarded to a student at The Academy Later Royal College). In 1912 on the advice of his principal Kularatne transferred to Wesley College Colombo to study Latin, Greek and English and in June 1912 he won the coveted Government Arts scholarship, which enabled him to do higher studies at an English university for 3 years on an annual grant of £300. In March 1913 Kularatne left by ship for London. Even though he had a place in Cambridge, arranged by the Principal of Richmond, he joined University of London to be able to study Law in addition to mathematics. Within a course of 3 years he had obtained a 1st class in mathematics and another 1st class BSc. In parallel he had enrolled for law and in 1917 obtained a 2nd class LLB degree and was called to the bar. While studying for his final Law exam he received the momentous cable from the BTS (Buddhist Theosophical Society) offering him the Principal ship of Ananda. He returned to Colombo in early December 1917, in the thick of World War One, by ship, and assumed the Principal ship on 1st January 1918, not yet 25 years old.

The primary aim of the founders of Ananda College was to provide Buddhist children with a modern education in a Buddhist environment, to redress the disadvantages they faced in society. It was to counteract the unfair dominance of Christian institutions and imposition, overtly and covertly, of western values and practices. It was to produce Sri Lankans who would not only be ready, willing and able to take the country forward, with a sense of patriotism and belonging. Kularatne’s vision of Ananda was broader, not restricted to academic education or to Ananda College only. The institution would have a social and cultural dimension and also become a role model to lead the way to rapid growth of similar institutions throughout the country. K decided to start with elevating academic standards to persuade parents to admit children to Ananda in order to convince the sceptics especially among the Buddhists, that it is an institution worthy of their admiration and support. During his 1st year he put up a temporary 7 classroom block with half walls and cadjan roof for Rs.4,000. The Dutugamunu fund inaugurated by him in 1919 raised Rs.13,000 to build 8 proper classrooms and a staff room for the first time. Between 1918 and 1925, the first 7 years of Kularatne era the floor area was tripled from initial 20,000 to 60,000 sq. ft.

Academic results

Ananda did not have an impressive record in terms of exam results when K took over. In 1918 only 1 out of 13 candidates passed the School Leaving Certificate examination. In 1919, there were 45 passes in the Cambridge examination , as against 18 in the previous year. Within a few years of his arrival, the college scored several honours, successes and distinctions at the Cambridge Local exams, surpassing other schools. The flow of success continued with Ananda producing winner after winner consistently year after year. In 1924 the first 3 places in the Senior Cambridge Local examination went to Ananda – a feat unequalled by any other school in the country.

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During Kularatne years Ananda rapidly acquired a reputation for excellence in science subjects. He improved the existing chemistry lab, constructed new physics and biology laboratories and with his teachers built Ananda ‘s reputation as having some of the best labs in the country. In early 1922 about 300 students including some of the best and a contingent of teachers were moved to temporary cadjan roofed building near the playground. On 1st November 1925 with G P Malalasekara as the Principal Nalanda became a truly independent fully equipped secondary school.

Teaching Staff

By 1922 Ananda had the best teaching staff at senior level. This standard was maintained and in 1938 Kularatne announced that his continued to be one of the best in the island and include Sinhalease, Tamils, Malays, Burghers, Europeans and Indians. Majority of them were non-Buddhists as there were only a few Buddhist graduates at the time. The teachers of Ananda gave their best under trying circumstances. Often they were not paid in time or the full salary depending on the income from the annual grant. When K took over in 1918 national credentials of Ananda were being consolidated and the institution had definite political significance. In his first address to the college he said “Ananda College is above all a religious and national institution”. Though the emphasis was on educating Buddhist and Sinhala children, Ananda was not a narrowly focused “Sinhala -Buddhist” institution. In 1922 in addition to 1,084 Buddhists there were 83 Hindus, 47 Muslims, 27 Protestant Christians and 16 Roman Catholics. Further about 40 Burmese students joined the hostel. In early 20s he started a weekly magazine in English named The Buddhist Chronicle, which tackled controversial and topical matters and provided a forum for various views to be aired and discussed. He introduced the subject of Ceylon History, which was much neglected in big schools. Ananda was the first English medium school to establish Sinhala in 1920 to every class and in 1923 was made compulsory. K was instrumental in including Pali and Sanskrit alongside Greek and Latin as subjects for the Cambridge Senior examinations. In 1923 Ananda was the only school where Sinhala, Tamil and Pali were all taught. He thought that Sinhala and Tamil should be taught in all secondary schools.

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From 1920 onwards the school magazine included Sinhala articles. By 1939 there were separate Sinhala and Tamil sections. The headmaster of the primary school was given the responsibility to produce a magazine in Sinhala for 5 – 12 year olds – Sinhala Daruva, to promote Sinhala literature. In 1922 the Tamil students staged their first play “Leelavathi – Sulochana” in aid of the Tamil section of the library. Manohara followed this in 1928. In 1940 Kularatne declared in his Principal’s Report that “Sinhala will be the medium of instruction in all sections of the kindergarten for Sinhala children, English will be taught as a subject”, and started implementing this policy without Government approval, with only the consent from the parents. He ran the risk of losing the government grant over this. However the results produced were revealing and the government sanctioned his actions. K exposed the students to national leaders like D S Senanayake and S W R D Bandaranayake in 1935 and to Indian freedom fighters. Rabindranath Tagore come to Ananda twice and presided over the prize day in October 1922. Gandhi addressed the students on 15 Nov. 1927. Jawaharalal Nehru visited the college in 1931with his wife and daughter and Sarojini Naidu participated in the prize day in 1926.

At the beginning Kularatne wore a tweed suit to work but soon realised that the Western dress was intimidating to some parents. So in 1922 he discarded his array of best-tailored British suits and started wearing the national dress. Three British Governors showed special admiration and interest in the school. Sir Herbert Stanley Governor of Ceylon from 1927 – 1931 was the first Governor to visit the school. Sir Graeme Thomson, Colonial Secretary in Ceylon from 1919 – 1922, and later Governor from 1932 – 1932 was also very supportive. As colonial Secretary he laid the foundation stone for the Wallisingha Harischandra building, gave a donation and also granted 4 acres of land to build a sports ground next to Nalanda.

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Fund Raising

K had an instinctive feel for assessing, costing and marketing the school projects. The grant received from the government was totally inadequate to sustain Ananda’s exponential growth, so it was driven mainly by funds raised privately and short term borrowing from banks. In his very first message to the school he pointed out that Ananda had many needs in the way of buildings and equipment before it could function effectively and that very few Buddhists were giving time and money for the welfare of Buddhist children. There were large benefactors like WA Silva, Arthur Dias, Hewavitharana family, Senanayake brothers and WE Bastian. The less affluent sections also contributed. For instance, there was the “one-cent fund”. Teacher and boys fanned out all over Colombo and collected donations from any willing source – vatti ammas, rickshaw pullers, petty traders and daily wage earners- who gladly donated their mite towards Ananda. Most of the donations were encouraged by the progress that Ananda was making and there was a sense of reverence in their attitude towards the school. It was considered almost a national duty to assist Ananda. These campaigns also helped to take the message of Ananda across the length and breath of the country.

The most effective and successful method of fund raising was the carnival, a device introduced by Kularatne. Some Buddhists criticised him, but he went ahead. The carnival organised by him in connection with the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1936 was the first ever school carnival held in Colombo and was a great success. Carnivals came into vogue thereafter.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports

On arrival at Ananda K saw the immediate need for a playground. In 1920 with the assistance of the Colonial secretary Sir Graeme Thomson Ananda secured a 4-acre block at Campbell Place for a playground. Further 2 acres were acquired in 1936. The first cricket match between Ananda and Nalanda was played in 1922 with two mixed teams of ladies and gentlemen teachers. The first match between the boys of the two institutions was played in 1924. However in

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1924 and 1925 Nalanda had no official cricket team of it own. It was 1926, the year Nalanda became independent that the true Big Match of the series was played. In addition to cricket, mainstream sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis and boxing were encouraged and soon Ananda was competing well with established schools. In 1928 Ananda won the Stubbs Challenge Shield for boxing. In 1934 and 1935 Anandians set up records at the Public School athletic meet. In 1936 the soccer team was unbeaten.

Cadetting

In 1920 K introduced cadetting to the school amidst opposition from Buddhists and parents. He insisted cadetting provide a further avenue of employment to the students by giving them an opportunity of joining the armed forces. In 1927 the Ananda cadets won the Whiteaway shield and in 1928 the Herman Loos Challenge cup awarded to the most efficient senior cadet platoon. The tradition continued – in 1929 CLI Challenge cup for most efficient junior platoon, in 1931 the de Zoysa Challenge Cup for squad drill, in 1932 the Whiteaway Challenge Cup for physical training, Royal navy Challenge Cup and Cargills shield, and in 1934 the Governor Cup, Herman loos Challenge Cup, inter-section shooting cup, the CVRA shield and the Apothecaries Shield.

Ananda College Miniature Rifle Club was started in 1932. It was affiliated to the Miniature Rifle Club of Ceylon. In 1936 Ananda was the only school to win the Governors Cup by beating the Ceylon Light Infantry, the Ceylon Garrison Artillery, Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps and various professional English marksmen. Kularatne ran Ananda College for a period of 25 years, from 1918 to 1943, with a break between Nov 1932 to April 1936 when at the request of BTS he accepted the post of Principal of Dharmaraja College Kandy. He returned to Ananda in time for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations. He retired from Ananada in 1943 at the age of 50 years. In the same year the Old Boys Association celebrated Kularatne’s 25 years of service inaugurating the Kularatne Jubilee Fund to build a science lab.

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During the farewell Mr.SWRD Bandaranayake, Sir Mohammed Macan Marker, Mr.A Mahadevan and Mr.CWW Kanngara gave celebratory speeches. A provactive and heart felt address was by T B Jayah, one time teacher at Ananda and later Principal of Zahira “Twenty five years ago Ananda existed as so many other indigenous institutions existed – I mean no disrespect to the work of a Bultjens or a Jayatilaka – as a constant reminder to the Ceylonese of their ineptitude and incapacity to manage their own affairs. It was, therefore, no easy task that awaited young Kularatne. A grateful public cannot forget the pioneers of Buddhist education who had to contend against powerful forces backed at times even by the Government itself, and who had prepared the ground for those who followed them. Mr. Kularatne himself will be the first to acknowledge his immense debt to them, but it will be generally admitted that it was the advent of Mr. P. de S. Kularatne as principal of Ananda that heralded the dawn of a new era in Buddhist Education in Ceylon.

The Education Code, Departmental Circulars, and opposition from vested interests - these had no terrors for him. His bitterest opponents - some of them were found even among his co-workers - have been constrained to admit that he has succeeded where others may have failed. What is the secret of his success as Principal of Ananda? Did he merely confine himself to teaching and administering the College? Did he always depend on the Governing body of the College for the successful carrying out of his schemes? Did he look on with folded arms till buildings were put up or money found by the College authorities to meet the growing needs of the College? Did he cut himself off from the public life of the country and dedicate himself to educational work as indicated in the school timetable? If he had simply done this and nothing more, Ananda College would not be what it is today, the radiating centre of Buddhist educational thought and activity; Buddhist education would not be so widespread and so powerfully organised; Mr. Kularatne himself would not be occupying a leading position among the educationists of the Island nor even become a member of the State Council. It must be most gratifying to all concerned that, at the completion of twenty five years’ service as Principal, he has been placed in a most favourable and favoured position both for giving of his best to the College and for promoting the educational and political welfare of the community. It is given to few to have accomplished as much within a quarter of a century as an educationist and public worker. It is a record of which he can justly be proud.”

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Following retirement Kularatne was an active member of the BTS and was instrumental in establishing Ananda Balika, Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Pannipitiya Vidyalaya. Hi wife Hilda, a scholar from England was the Principal of Ananda Balika and she founded the Sri Sumangala Girls School at Panadura and Maliyadeva Girls School at Kurunegala. Later when Mr SWRD Bandaranayake established the SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Kularatne became the first secretary. Mr Kularatne died on 16 November 1976 (aged 83yr) and in a tribute Dr NM Perera stated – “The country owes much to Mr. Kularatne for he was responsible for kindling the nationalist aspirations of the young generations when nationalism was taboo under colonial domination. The subsequent growth of the anti-Imperialist movement in Sri Lanka can be traced to the seeds of patriotism and national independence that were sown in the hearts of the thousands of pupils who passed through his hands.” (A Light Goes Out - P. De S. Kularatne : A Tribute By N.M. Perera : Daily News November 19, 1976)