Our School History

OUR SCHOOL HISTORY IBBAGAMUWA ("ELEPHANT HABITAT") IS A SMALL HAMLE 12 KILOMITERS AWAY FROM KURUNAGALA TOWN, IN THE NORTH WESTERN PROVINCE OF SIR LANKA. THIS HAD BEEN A POPULOUS AND CULTIVATION-RICHREGION FROM THE PERIOD OF KING PRAKRAMABAHU THE GREAT, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING MANY TANKS IN THE DRY ZONE FOR PADDY CULIVATION. ONE OF THE KING'S RESOURCEFUL MINISTERS, BADHALATHTHALI BUILT AHUGE TANK NEAR IBBAGAMUWA, AND DECLARED THE REGION AS A CULTIVATION AREA AND SETTLED DOWN THOUSANDS OF FARMER FAMILIES. THE TANK WAS NAMED AFTER THE MINISTERS, BADHALATHLIWAPI, NOW KNOWN AS BATALAGODA WEWA. THE STONE INSCRIPTION STANDING NEAR THE SPILL ON THE TANK BUND NARRATES THE ACCOUNT OF THE RESTORATION OF THE TANK BY QUEEN KALYANAWATHIE (1202-1208 A.D.) THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA, PREDOMINANTLY FARMERS, CULTIVATED THEIR LANDS WITH THE HELP OF THE WATER SUPPLY FORM (BADHALATHTHALIWAPI) BATALAGODA TANK. THERE WERE RICH LANDOWNERS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE KING'S COURT, WHO MAINTAINED THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THAT FEUDAL ERA, AND THE FARMERS IN THE AREA TOLIED HARD TO PRODUCE A GOOD HARVEST. THUS, IBBAGAMUWA BECAME THE ADJOINING VILLAGE OF THE BATALAGODA TANK, WHERE A VERY SMALL HAMLET WAS SETTLED AFTER THE MAIN ROADS WERE BUILT IN THE 19TH CNTURY. THIS WAS THE TRANSITION PERIOD, IN WHICH THE COUNTRY WAS TRYING TO DEVELOP PARALLEL TO THE MODERN STANDARDS OF THE WESTERN WORLD. WITH THAT OBJECTIVE, CONTEMPORARY WESTERN EDUCATION SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED TO CEYLON. TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE, THE ENGLISH RULERS CONDUCTED HIGH CLASS AND POSH ENGLISH MISSIONARY SCHOOL IN MAJOR TOWNS TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN OF THA RICH FAMILIES, THOSE WHO COULD AFFORD VARY HIGH SCHOOL FEES. THE POOR CHILDRAN, HOWEVER, WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BASIC (FREE) EDUCATION IN SINHALESE OR TAMIL MEDIUM IN VILLAGE SCHOOLS. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE ENGLISH EDUCATED PERSONS WERE ABSORBED INTO ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER SUPERIOR GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT, WHILE THE SINGHALESE AND TAMIL SCHOLARS WERE CHOSEN AS LOCAL LEADERS TO SERVE AT VILLAGE LEVEL. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, IBBAGAMUWA GOVERNMENT SINGHALESE MIXED SCHOOL WAS ONE OF THOSE VILLAGE CENTERS FOR FREE EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE AREA. IT WAS LOCATED AT IBBAGAMUWA JUNCTION, SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO ROAADS. THE EXACT DATE OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS PRIMARY SCHOOL WAS NOT REVEALVD; NEVERTHELESS, THE WRITTEN RECORDS OF THE REGISTERS (LOG BOOKS) ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE YEAR 1914. THE FIRST RECORD AVAILABLE IS ABOUT A REPORT WRITTEN BY A SCHOOL INSPECTOR. MR.C.W.W. KANNANGARA WAS THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION DURING THE POST WAR PERIOD. මෙ뷒න අධ්‍යපන ඇෙති 뗔ොමේ ප්‍රදාාන්වයමන් ෙධ්‍යස්ත පාඨශාලා ක්‍රෙම යැඩ ආරභ ǒන . එෙ කට뗔 ය් පු 뷒ශායභාර ප්‍රධ්‍ාන ප槊ෂක 뗔ේමේ අයසර 퇒ට සයස 1 ට පාඨශාලා යසන ල뷓 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SIGNIFICANT NOTE, IBBAGAMUWA CENTRAL COLLEGE SHOULD BE THE SECOND CENTRAL COLLEGE TO BE ESTABLISHED AFTER MATUGAMA CENTRAL COLLEGE, WHICH WAS THE FIRST TO BE DECLARED, SITUATED IN THE HON. MINISTER’S ELECTORATE ITSELF. ELEVATED AS IBBAGAMUWA CENTRAL COLLEGE, THE VILLAGE SCHOOL FUNCTIONED IN ITS TRADITIONAL STYLE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, BEFORE IT WAS REALLY TRANSFORMED INTO AN ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. THE MAIN REASON WAS THAT THERE WERE NO TEACHERS FOR ENGLISH MEDIUM EDUCATION. THE HEAD MASTER OF THE SINHALA SCHOOL, MR. WELAGEDARA, CONTINUED TO BE THE HEAD OF THE INSTITUTION UNTIL REPLACEMENT WAS MADE . THE EXISTING MIXED SCHOOL FUNCTIONED AS USUAL IN ONE PART OF THE BUILDINGS, AND THE CENTRAL COLLEGE ON THE OTHER SECTION OF THE SAME SITE. GENERALLY, THE CENTRAL COLLEGES ADMITTED ONLY PUPILS FROM GRADE 6 AND UPWARDS. THESE INCLUDE THOSE WHO WERE SELECTED ON THE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATION (KNOWN AS SCHOLARS), AND ALSO THOSE WHO PASSED THE SELECTIVE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION HELD BY THE CENTRAL COLLEGE (DAY-SCHOLARS).BY THE YEAR 1942 SCHOLARS WERE SELECTED FROM VARIOUS SCHOOLS OF THE REGION AND WERE ADMITTED TO THE CENTRAL COLLEGES. THE EXPECTED ENGLISH EDUCATION, HOWEVER, WAS NOT FULLY INTRODUCED DUE TO LACK OF TEACHERS. MR. C. W. W. KANNNANGARA ADVERTISED FOR POSTS OF PRINCIPLES OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED CENTRAL COLLEGES AND THE RESPONSE WAS REMARKABLE. THERE WERE MANY LONDON B. A. GRADUATES ANTICIPATING THE POSTS OF PRINCIPAL IN THESE NEW ESTABLISHMENTS. THE MINISTER PERSONALLY INTERVIEWED AND SELECTED THE NEW PRINCIPAL. A MASTER FROM SAINT PETERS COLLEGE COLOMBO, A LONDON B. A. GRADUATE, MR. P. M. JAYATILAKA, WAS AMONG THE APPLICANTS. HIS EDUCATIONAL AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY RECORD SATISFIED THE MINISTER AND IMMEDIATELY APPOINTED HIM AS THE PRINCIPAL OF IBBAGAMUWA CENTRAL COLLEGE MR.P.M JAYATILAKA P.M. JAYATILAKA HAD THE PROUD DISTINCTION OF SCORING THE FIRST CENTURY IN THE ANANDA NALANDA SERIES. HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATIONIST AND EXEMPLARY PRINCIPAL WHO MOULDED MANY PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. CERTAIN NAMES OF DEVOTED, DEDICATED, COMMITTED, AND OUTSTANDING PRINCIPALS AND THE SEATS OF THEIR LEARNING CONNECTED WITH THEM ARE SYNONYMOUS. TO NAME A FEW, OUT OF MANY, ARE WARDENS STONE, CANON DE SARAM, NEVILLE DE ALWIS, - S. THOMAS’ COLLEGE, MOUNT LAVINIA, DR. P. DE. S. KULARATNE, L. H. METTANANDA - ANANDA COLLEGE, COLOMBO, DR. MALALASEKARA GUNAPALA WICKRAMARATNE - NALANDA COLLEGE, COLOMBO, FATHER PETERPILLAI - ST. JOSEPH’S, MARADANA, F. L. WOODWARD - MAHINDA, GALLE, BILLIMORIA, S. A. WIJETILEKE - DHARMARAJA COLLEGE, KANDY, MRS. PULLIMOOD AND CLARA MOTWANI - VISAKHA VIDYALAYA, DR. WIMALA DE SILVA, KALYANI DE ZOYSA - DEVI BALIKA VIDYALAYA. THE NAME OF IBBAGAMUWA CENTRAL COLLEGE, THURSTAN COLLEGE, COLOMBO AND P. M. JAYATILAKA ARE INSEPARABLE. JAYATILAKA WAS MORE THAN AN EDUCATIONIST. HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST LEFT HAND BATSMEN, A COLOSSUS AMONG SCHOOLBOY CRICKETERS IN CEYLON IN THE 1920S. HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT PRODUCTS OF NALANDA COLLEGE, WHO MADE 111 NOT OUT AGAINST THEIR ARCH-RIVALS, ANANDA, IN 1927. THIS BATTING RECORD IN THE ANANDA-NALANDA SERIES STOOD FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, OR FOUR DECADES, UNTIL CARL OBEYSEKERA EQUALLED IT. FIRST TO CROSS THE 111, IN THE BIG MATCH CAME FROM THE BAT OF BANDULA WARNAPURA IN 1972, WHEN NALANDA WAS CAPTAINED BY THAT BRILLIANT ALL-ROUNDER NANDADEVA PERERA, WHO SHONE IN INDIA AND AND HONG KONG LATER. AFTER LEAVING NALANDA, JAYATHILAKE REPRESENTED AND PLAYED FOR COLTS CRICKET CLUB IN THE CLUB CIRCUIT. HE GAVE UP HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CRICKET CAREER TO BECOME AN ACADEMIC AND AN EDUCATIONIST. UNDOUBTEDLY, HE WAS AN ORNAMENT TO BOTH CRICKET AND EDUCATION. THIS OUTSTANDING CRICKETER TURNED EDUCATIONIST WAS BORN ON 10 OCTOBER 1909. HE HAILED FROM A HIGHLY RESPECTABLE FAMILY FROM MADAWALA, NEGOMBO. HIS FATHER WAS AYURVEDIC PHYSICIAN, VEDAMAHATTAYA AND HIS BELOVED MOTHER WAS CLARA GARLIN DE SILVA. JAYATILAKA’S ONLY SISTER WAS THE LATE DR. WIMALA DE SILVA, THE FOUNDER OF ONE OF THE LEADING GIRLS’ SCHOOLS, DEVI BALIKA VIDYALAYA, AND COLOMBO. BOTH BROTHER AND SISTER WERE GREAT PRINCIPALS AND OUTSTANDING EDUCATIONISTS, WHO SERVED THE COUNTRY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. LITTLE JAYATILAKA STARTED SCHOOLING AT NEWSTEAD GIRLS’ SCHOOL, NEGOMBO. AT THE AGE OF 10, HE WAS ADMITTED TO WESLEY COLLEGE, COLOMBO. HE WAS A BOARDER. AT WESLEY, THERE WERE STUDENTS OF ALL RACES AND RELIGIONS - SINHALESE, TAMILS, MUSLIMS, BURGHERS, MALAYS AND BUDDHISTS, HINDUS, MOSLEMS, CHRISTIANS, CATHOLICS, BAPTISTS, METHODISTS ETC. HE GREW UP IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND HE WAS A TRUE CEYLONESE OR SRI LANKAN. HE STARTED PLAYING CRICKET AT WESLEY AS A TINY TOT OF 12 YEARS. THIS TALENTED CHILD WAS SELECTED TO PLAY FOR THE 3RD XI. HE WAS COACHED BY AN EXCELLENT TEACHER NAMED TERRENCE DE SILVA, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR STARTING THE FAMOUS ‘SURIYAMAL VYAPARAYA’ IN THE 1920S. THE REASON FOR LITTLE JAYATILAKA TO JOIN WESLEY WAS MAINLY DUE TO TWO OF HIS UNCLES - RAYMOND AND EDWIN. OUT OF THESE TWO, HIS ‘LOKUMAMA’ - RAYMOND, DID NOT ENCOURAGE SPORTS. HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TOO MUCH OF SPORTS AND CRICKET, WOULD RUIN JAYATILAKA’S STUDIES. RAYMOND DE SILVA WAS EMPLOYED AT THE MERCANTILE BANK, GALLE. HE TOOK JAYATILAKA TO GALLE AND ADMITTED HIM TO THE LEADING BUDDHIST SCHOOL IN SOUTHERN SRI LANKA - MAHINDA COLLEGE. HIS UNCLE, RAYMOND, WAS A STRICT DISCIPLINARIAN. UNCLE RAYMOND GAVE HIM THE FREEDOM TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTED FROM 3.00-6.00 P.M. AT 6.30, HE HAD TO BE WITH HIS BOOKS. NALANDA VIDYALAYA WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY 1920S. HIS PARENTS AND UNCLES DECIDED TO ADMIT JAYATILAKA TO THE NEW SCHOOL. IN 1925, HE JOINED NALANDA AND WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT HE FOUND A PLACE IN THE NALANDA FIRST XI. HE HAD THE PROUD DISTINCTION OF LEADING THE NALANDA CRICKET TEAM IN LATER YEARS. HIS MOST MEMORABLE INNINGS WAS THE FIRST CENTURY HE SCORED IN THE BIG-MATCH ANANDA-NALANDA IN 1926. THIS BIG ENCOUNTER WAS PLAYED AT NALANDA COLLEGE GROUNDS. THIS HARD HITTING LEFT HANDER PUMMELED THE ANANDA ATTACK TO ALL PARTS OF THE PARK. HE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT ‘ATTACK IS THE BEST FORM OF DEFENCE’. HE REACHED HIS HALF-CENTURY WITH A TOWERING SIX. WHEN HE WAS 75 NOT OUT, THERE REMAINED ONLY 20 MINUTES OF PLAY LEFT FOR THE DAY. IT WAS HIS DAY. JAYATILAKA NEVER GOT THE OPPORTUNITY OF WALKING BACK TO THE PAVILION. NALANDA AND ANANDA SUPPORTERS THREW HIM AROUND LIKE A FOOTBALL. HE WAS DELIGHTED NOT BECAUSE OF HIS CENTURY, BUT NALANDA WERE ABLE TO RECORD THE FIRST VICTORY IN THIS BIG CLASH. NALANDA WAS CAPTAINED B. S. PERERA AND ANANDA WAS LED BY N. M. PERERA, WHO BECAME A GREAT NATIONAL LEADER AND THE LEADER OF THE LANKA SAMASAMAJA PARTY. HE WAS SUCH A BRILLIANT BATSMAN THAT HE TURNED A BOWLERS’ BEST BALL, INTO A BAD BALL BY ATTACKING. HE WAS A BORN CRICKETER. JAYATILAKA WAS A VERSATILE STUDENT. HE BALANCED BOTH STUDIES AND SPORTS. HE ENTERED THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE. THE SUBJECTS HE SELECTED WERE SINHALA, ENGLISH AND CLASSICS (LATIN AND GREEK). WHEN HE COMPLETED HIS INTER-ARTS, ONE OF HIS UNCLES, AN ENGINEER BY PROFESSION, DIED AND HIS FATHER FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR HIS CHILDREN’S EDUCATION.

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