, ^ \ wav-^ CTK -i. V-o • | J JAFFNA COLLEGE MISCELLANY D E C E M B E R , 1951. Yfele Divinity Libraiy New Haven, Conn, Jaffna College Miscellany) M an ager: Mr. S. V- Balasingham E d ito rs: Mr. L. S. Kulathtmgam Mr. S. P. Appasamy December, /^ 5 /. L X l No. I CONTENTS Page Editorial Notes ... ... ... I Emmanuel ... ... ... 1 The Unspeakable Gift ... ... 2 Sri Pada — The Mystic Mountain ... ... 4 Chinese Painting and the People ... ... 7 Some Aspects of Co-operation in Europe ... 10 Student Contributions Creation ... ... ... 17 Pleasures of Travel ... ... 18 Gerard Manley Hopkins’ ... ... 20 Novel Reading — an Art ? ... ••• 24 Rabindranath Tagore ... ... 31 Hyperion ... ... ••• 35 Scott and Chivalry ... ... 40 Gold Key ... ... ... 42 .¿suSig tLa ••• 48 ” ••• ... 54 Qu&tri afte» ••• ••• — 59 naii tuna ? ... ... 62 «few ••• ••• ••• 64 aoa>sQ*LLuf.^S)§2iui GunibiQsLLi—diw ’iBv ! — €6 The Annual Prize-Giving Principal’s Report ... ... 72 Mr. Hulugalle’s Address ... ... 87 Prize L ist— 1950 ... ... 89 Prize Donors — 1951 ... ... 98 Memorial Prize Donors ... ... 99 Deputy President’s Notes ... ... 100 Principal’s Notes ... ... ... 101 Physical Director’s Notes ... ... 105 Librarian’s Notes ... ... ... 108 The Round Table ... ... ... 113 College Activities The Y. M C. A. ... ... ... 115 Student Christian Movement ... ... 117 The Y. W. C. A. ... ... .» 118 House Reports: Page Abraham. House ... ... 119 Brown -House ... ... 121 Hastings House ... ... 122 Hitchcock House ... ... 123 The School Council ... ... 125 Jaffna College Undergraduates’ Union ... 127 The Academy ... ... 128 The Brotherhood ... ... ... 13i) The Forum ... ... ... .131 The Lyceum ... ... ... 132 The Oriental Study Group ... 133 The Tamil Society ... ... 134 The Historical and Civics Association ... 135 Thè Jaffna College Senior Geographical Association ... ' 136 Undergraduates’ Hostel Union ... ... 137 H. S. C. Hostel Union ... ... 139 Senior Hostel Union ... ... 139 Women’s Hostel Union ... ... ; 141 Bicknell Dormitory Union ... ... 142 The Scout Troop ... ... ... 143 The Girl Guides ... ... ... 144 The Students’ Tennis Club ... ... 145 Students’ Farewell to Mr. C, R. Wadsworth ... 146 Students’ Farewell to Rev. & Mrs Bunker ... 147 Our Results ... ... ... 149 Alumni Section The Late Mr. C. H. Cooke, J. P. I — Tribute ... ... 152 II — Another Tribute ... ... 154 III — The College Remembers Mr. Cooke ... 155 IV — Malayan Old Boys’ Remember Mr. Cooke ... 158 Alumni Notes ... ... ... 159 Alumni Day at Jaffna College ... ... 169 The Annual Alumni Dinner ... ... 171 College Diary ... ... ... 176 «j— -------- HK. CHELLUH H. COOKE, J. P. Professor 1879—1919. i EDITORIAL NOTES Jaffna College Takes a Momentous Step. This year has been a memorable one for Jaffna College, for in its early part the College took the momentous step of joining the Free Education Scheme. In 1945 when the Scheme was introduced into our schools for the first time, we decided to stay out of it for two main reasons: one, we were not satisfied at the awards given by the Scheme; and secondly, we had some fears that our indepen­ dence and, therefore, our educational efficiency, our effective usefulness and witness as a Christian insti­ tution would be jeopardised. It was also not difficult to stay independent of Government support, for that was our past tradition. Our readers would remember that it was only in 1908 — thirty six years after the Jaffna College proper was established—that we entered the Government Grant-in-aid system. Now our fears have been considerably allayed by the very friendly attitude shown by the Govern­ ment towards denominational schools. This should be as it is, not merely because of the precious contribution of these schools to the educational advance­ ment of the country, but also because of their pre­ sent remarkable efficiency, high standard, and their spirit of service. We are glad that, by such an un­ flinching and determined stand of the powers-that- be, the voice of some disgruntled and fanatic croa­ kers against denominational, particularly Christian, schools has been effectively silenced. Jaffna College has always been in the forefront of those labouring for national regeneration and is ever ready to en­ gage in such work in the future too. But we shall not subscribe to any scheme that will tend to make our education shoddy or prevent our Christian witness. The amended, new Scheme, which is in force today, is a workable one. The Government has shown its reasonableness by increasing the grant payable to the free schools by the introduction of facilities fees. This would compensate, in some measure, for what the schools would lose through not charging school fees. This, therefore, was another reason that made us join the Scheme. We have also always wanted our students to . enjoy the full bene­ fits of the Scheme, We do hope, however, that circumstances will not compel us to revise our decision. We do also hope that the rumour is false that the Education Ministry is contemplating the withdrawal of the facili­ ties fees. If the Ministry does so, it will be guilty of cajoling schools into the Scheme by false pre­ tences and empty promises. Of course, we are not blind to the fact that the insistence on the really poor students to pay these fees goes directly against the spirit of the Free Scheme. The solution for this difficulty is with schools themselves. If they obey the spirit of the regulations, as they should, they ought to exempt from the facilities fees all those who are unable to pay. And, then, why should all schools charge the same fees, irrespective of the facilities they afford? If these fees are at any time withdrawn, the Government should be prepared to give the schools another grant in their place. Can the Government afford to do it in the face of the ever - mounting cost of education ? Some Other Changes There is now a very welcome definiteness about the New Scheme of Education, specially with regard to the two important matters of the medium of instruction and the Selective Test. We are not quite sure whether the medium can be successfully introduced into the Standards VI, VII and VIII pro­ iii gressively in the next three years. The text books needed are not ready, nor are teachers with the necessary qualifications. However, a beginning has to be made at sometime or other, and the country must be prepared for the consequent inevitable de­ terioration in the standard of education during a short period of transition at least. Jaffna College has never faltered about introducing the vernacular medium, quite in keeping with its long tradition of giving Tamil a most prominent place in our edu cational scheme. The same thing is true with regard to practi­ cal education also. For years now we have had a Manual Training [section attached to the Upper School and a very popular and varied handicraft section in the Primary Department. These have now been strengthened and a beginning has been made with the introduction of commercial education by the provision of type-writing classes for a few students, Even in this, we are only going back to •what we had in the early years of this century. When the Selective Test comes at the end of next year, we shall consider helping our students branch out into two streams. The provision of an Elemen­ tary Department in the Secondary School is also not new to us, for we had such a Department about 30 years ago and had to close it down mainly for want of patronage. We shall be making a start with the provi­ sion of classes for General Certificate in Education of the London University. ¿This is an examination which is essential to those granting to proceed to London degrees. As long as the Ceylon University cannot cater to all those seeking higher education, and as long as there will be quite a number who cannot afford a .ijhiversity course at costly Perade- niya, it will be »necessary for our students to be provided withr an alternative course. And Jaffna iv College has set before it this provision as an urgent task. Languages in our Schools The College is taking a step in the right direction when it is introducing Sinhalese into the curriculum of its Senior classes. For some years now we have had it in the Forms and from next year it will be extended to the Senior classes as well. The ideal for Ceylon, in our opinion, is for its schools to have both the Sinhalese and the Tamil languages taught in them. That would mean for every Sinhalese student Tamil would be a second language and for every Tamil student Sinhalese would be second language. Such an arrange­ ment would hasten the days of the welding of the three major races in Ceylon—the Sinhalese, the Tamils, and the Muslims — into one single nation. Because this is our ideal — and we fail to see how any true hearted nationalist can advocate any other course — we are frankly disappoined at the reported interim recommendation of the National Language Commission, now sitting, to the effect that Sinhalese should be the official language in seven of the Provinces in the Island, and Tamil in the remaining two. Here, we do not want to refer to the politi­ cal repercussions likely to rise from such an action. But we fail to understand how the Commission could have come to this decision. If there is any sure wav of segregating each linguistic group by it­ self and thereby splitting this small country into two nations, the Commission’s way is the one. We do hope that the Government will not accept this recommendation, but that it will implement, in spirit and in the letter, its decision to have both Sinhalese and Tamil as official languages, in all the Provinces. Such an unequivocal, firm, pronouncement must soon be made. For the logical consequence of that will be for the Education Department to make V the teaching of both the languages compulsory in our schools.