Malhami’s School and Gurukumbure Wijewardana

 

Teaching is a just a profession for onlookers and most teachers. Few decades ago, in Sri Lanka, teaching was more than a profession, it was an honorable service where teachers selflessly devoted for their teaching career. Unlike now, the life of teachers and people in Sri Lanka had been very simple, for them a teacher was beyond a level of human; hence, teacher was given more respect and devotion by students and the people in villages. Teachers too understood that fact and acted accordingly. Still, there are many teachers following the steps of those idols, selflessly rendering their service amid of nameless difficulties – mind you, teaching career is not a bed of roses in the context of the country. They wholeheartedly believe in the accountability and responsibility of a good teacher in shaping up the way of a generation. The purpose of this post is to salute those unsung heroes on their invaluable, selfless service – hidden in the social arena, buried in the hearts of a handful of students, still not expecting to be flattered – just patiently expecting the success of their dear students.

Though it is late, after reading the only book of H.M. Wijewardana, the late principal of Gurukumbura Primary School – Dambana – Mahiyanganaya, we felt that it is our duty to introduce the kind of a human persona who sacrificed his golden days of life on behalf of others, gaining nothing materialistic. In fact, he must be one of the richest according to Buddhism – as happiness is the supreme wealth one can attain. Probably, in his last days, lying in a cozy bed, he must have been reminiscing over his past, with a pounding heart remembering the good deeds he rendered throughout his life. Only a handful of few get the chances like that in their twilight time of life.

Coming back to Wijewardana, His only autobiographical book was published courtesy to his close relative Dambane Gunawardana who understood the good service done by him which could have been submerged under the sand of time. It is ‘වන දිවිය පියකරුය’ (The life amid of wild is enchanting) which explains the hard, beautiful journey of his teaching in a remote village neighboring to a wildlife reserve. He takes the reader to the simple lifestyle of humble villagers in 1960s and his contribution as a teacher in transforming a society.

 The newly built school was different from today’s classrooms, it was a wattle-hall build out of mud and a thatched roof; the students did not have proper uniforms. As there were less than 35 students, he had to be the only teacher for whole school most of the times. Occasionally teachers came and gone quickly getting transfers. He had to play a one-man role, finding all the resources available. He with the help of villagers built a tree house near by the school and a kitchen at the school. After the day’s tasks, he spent his night at the tree house and in the morning, he comes to school. He had to go to the near by stream to bring water with students before everything in the morning. He mentioned one of his poems, he was waiting for the students who come with fresh wild flowers in their hands, this appearance made his day and pushed him forward amid of number of difficulties. He had not much, remember a teacher was not a rich person and all the children were from poor families, he had to give his own meals and survive with a meager tea, he had the specialty to go without food for days. On rainy days, he had to dry the rain-soaked students and feed them before start teaching which reminds us the teacher Duishen’s character.

He saw the transformation of the village and people, he had spent 25years – half of his life there. He saw the students learn and leave the village, however poor villagers were soon addicted to alcoholism, the families and relationships drifted apart. He had to be the family counselor at times. He, as a solution to this corruption intervened the matter working hard to bring a temple to the village. Which was succeeded and the village became a much better place to live in. However, his methods of serving were often criticized by the educational authorities, though they had not provided much, they expected formal level of education at the school, he criticized showing them that the matters he faced were not ordinary matters which the authorities were unaware of. This dispute went on and the authorities finally gave up.         

He was retired from his service in 2007, when he had left, he only took his old leather bag which we suppose must have been filled with a ton of memories. This post can hardly cover the experience he had, for that you have to read the book but there is no English translation to be found. We invite the Sri Lankan readers to read and experience his life he had firsthand.

Though he left the world in 2011, right after four years of retirement, his ‘Malhami’s School’ still serves the country – now much developed as a school reaping the harvest of his planted seedlings. His selfless teaching career shows what a teacher can do to transform a society. As a teacher, I too have met a number of teachers in rural areas, who selflessly sacrifice themselves for the betterment of a future generation. As I said before, unnoticed by the society, not expecting anything in return. They are the unsung heroes in most students lives, they live in someone’s heart as giant heroes.

We know, you all have a special teacher in your life. It is your chance to mention his name to the world. It is our duty to disclose such beautiful people to the world. World needs such beautiful souls, because of such people, the world is still a beautiful place to live in. Share this post as a tribute to a such wonderful soul, who strived throughout his live to make a set of people’s lives better not expecting anything in return.