ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE MAGAZINE This is an e-version of the Magazine published by St. John’s College Jaffna since 1904. Photo gallery of the college events has been excluded in this e-version due to file compression. VOL. CII 2011 Tel: (0094) 021 222 2432 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.jaffnastjohnscollege.com Address: Main Street, Chundikuli, Jaffna, SRI LANKA CONTENTS Prayer i Editorial ii Our New Bishop 01 Annual Prize Giving 02 Principal’s Prize Day Report 06 Prize Day Address 23 Annual Reports Primary School 26 Middle School 31 Junior Secondary Level 33 Retirements S. Antonypillai 35 S. Kandasamy 37 V.K. Sriskandarajah 39 Appreciations Ven. Joseph Sarvananthan 41 R. Baveesan 43 D.J. Thevathason 45 V. Sivasubramaniam 49 T. Mylvaganam 51 V.S. Stephen 53 Jimmy Rajaratnam 55 M. Gurusamy 61 Annual Reports - Old Boys’ Associations Jaffna 63 South Sri Lanka 66 Toronto 72 Teachers’ Guild Report 75 Staff List 76 Students’ Section - English 81 Students’ Section - Tamil 96 Clubs and Associations 107 Games and Athletics 133 Team List 148 House Reports 156 Prize List 159 College Song 178 PRAYER Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Thomas Aquinas EDITORS: Tamil: S. Chandramouleesan English: A.H. Gnanarajan BUSINESS MANAGER: P. Sriharan ( i ) Curriculum vs Extra-curriculum A mother of a nine-year-old student in Grade 4 once requested the teacher to relieve her son (who has won awards and badges) from Cub Scouting for the mere reason that he gets tired when he goes out for Job Week, an event held once a year! The teacher, sensing a valid reason behind the mother’s request, posed a few questions explaining at length the benefits of being a member of the Cub Scouts Pack, only to find the mother’s anxiety over a forthcoming public exam – “Grade 5 Scholarship!” There is growing dissatisfaction among the educational administrators and teachers over the lack of interest shown by the student population towards participation in extra-curricular activities at school – sports, clubs, associations, scouting, cadetting, cultural activities etc. – and the lack of parents’ support in allowing their children for same. Many believe that these extra-curricular activities will affect student performance in a negative manner due to conflicting time requirements and schedules. The rationale behind this is the exam-oriented education system of the country, where students’ competence is exclusively assessed by examinations, and their involvement in extra-curricular activities in school doesn’t add weight to their educational accomplishments (except in Special Admission to university where only about 0.5% is reserved for candidates who excel in extra-curricular activities at national [e.g. President’s Scout Award] and international levels). Admission to universities is extremely competitive and the mere fact that an applicant has satisfied the minimum requirements and the pre-requisites is no guarantee that he/she will be admitted. In recent years, numbers ranging from 118,000 – 142,000 have obtained the minimum requirements for admission to universities, but the actual number admitted has been only about 17,000 – 22,000. This highly competitive system heightens the likelihood of indifference to extra-curricular activities. A renowned education expert, Ernest L. Boyer, once said, “I know how idealistic it may sound, but it is my urgent hope that in the century ahead, students in the nation’s schools will be judged not by their performance on a single test, but by the quality of their lives. It’s my hope that students in the classrooms of tomorrow will be encouraged to be creative, not conforming, and learn to cooperate rather than compete.” Mark Twain once noted, “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Twain’s wry observation lives on, manifested in perceptions of employers who state that exam marks are in reality inadequate indicators of the skills needed for success in today’s world. Time and time again, employers advise that an academic qualification alone is not indicative of a well-rounded person. ( ii ) Surveys on recruitment processes regarding the characteristics employers most value in candidates consistently show soft skills / interpersonal and/or leadership skills at the very top of the list. In addition, an explosion of recent attention to concepts such as “emotional intelligence” has further fuelled the notion that there is more to “real world” success than academic ability. Studies show that the students who are members of clubs/societies, and/or sports teams exhibit superior interpersonal skills – decision-making, teamwork, communication, initiative – compared to students who are not members in the aforementioned groups, and that the students who hold leadership positions in extra-curricular activities display better interpersonal skills than students who do not hold officer positions. Numerous studies have been conducted concerning the relationship between extra- curricular activities and academic performance. Many extra-curricular activities have proven to be beneficial in building and strengthening academic achievement, even if the activities are not obviously related to academic subjects. Studies have shown that children involved in extra-curricular activities achieve better grades than those who are not, and these activities often teach them lifelong skills and build character (Marsh & Kleitman, 2002). Students may choose according to their ability, talent and interest from the varied types of extra-curricular activities – sports or non-sport extra-curricular activities – available at school. Here, at St John’s, Athletics, a variety of Games, and more than thirty Clubs & Associations on Social Service, Culture, Leisure etc. provide ample opportunities for students to develop their personality. A low note of caution: it’s important that students should decide how much is too much. Some of the students involved in too many extra-curricular activities may have difficulties in studies, or they may not get the rest and recreation they need. They should set some limits to activities so that they would have a passion and commitment to them. It is essential that students must pay attention to both curricular and extra-curricular activities in order to excel both academically and non-academically. It helps them excel as successful personalities as academic activities emphasize on hard skills and non- academic activities on soft skills. Through equal balancing of academic and extra- curriculum (more accurately re-phrased as “co-curriculum”), the students would learn a diverse range of skills and be multi-talented. ( iii ) OUR NEW BISHOP Rt. Revd. Dhiloraj Ranjit Canagasabey Bishop of Colombo OUR NEW BISHOP Rt. Revd. Dhiloraj Ranjit Canagasabey The Colombo Diocese of the Anglican to Harshini and has a daughter, Dhilukshini, Church in Sri Lanka saw its 15th Bishop and a son, Dhiranjan. elected on the 14th of May 2011. This moment is captured in a write-up in the As the Bishop of Colombo Diocese, Bishop following words: “The Episcopal Ring, the Dhilo becomes the leader of both major Pectoral Cross and the Mitre were communities of Sri Lanka in the Anglican presented to him. After he had declared that Church. He has expressed the awesome he would ‘serve the See of Colombo with responsibility of his office in his own words, “My wife is a Sinhalese. I am a Tamil. I love, Justice and humility,’ he was led to the can see the common identity in my children. Bishop’s Seat and duly installed. The It would be strengthening to do work such outgoing Bishop then presented the new as reconciliation and healing with different Bishop with the pastoral staff saying, communities in our Church.” ‘Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock that belongs to you.’ As his first act Bishop Dhilo serves as the Chairman of the as the Bishop of Colombo, Bishop Board of all Christian schools. It is Canagasabey then washed the feet of four noteworthy that he served as Headmaster persons - drawn from four regions of the of St. Thomas’ College, Bandarawela some Diocese. The Bishop then led the new time ago. We can be confident that his Bishop in front of the congregation and leadership will bring new and fruitful presented him saying, ‘People of the dimension into the lives of our Christian Diocese of Colombo, you have a new schools. Bishop, Dhiloraj Ranjit Canagasabey.’ This The Ven. Godwin Weerasuriya who was greeted with acclamation, the sound delivered the sermon at the consecration of drums and the pealing of the Cathedral service of Bishop Dhiloraj Canagasabey bells.” ended his sermon with this sobering thought, “Finally, it is a fact that the symbol of the Bishop Dhiloraj Canagasabey is an old boy cross is central to our religion. A Christian of St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa, and disciple cannot get away from the cross. It had his education and formation under the is certain that the demands of your office Jesuits of the Roman Catholic Church. will become heavy at times. He who is Bishop Canagasabey followed his called upon to wear the mitre will also be theological training at the Theological required to bear the cross and be a partaker College of Lanka, Pilimatalawa, obtaining of Christ’s sufferings.” (Therefore) “Be his Bachelor’s Degrees in Theology and strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, later Divinity from the University of neither be dismayed for the Lord, your God, Serampore.