Condensed from the Xaverian Sesquicentennial Jubilee Magazine 1859-2009 published by the SXCOBA in 2009: La Sallian Education in Sri Lanka

By Thilak de Silva (BSc, PGDE University of Colombo, )

The basis of the education given to us by the De La Salle Brothers is the presence of God with us and that God is always the source of Good and Just. The necessity of religion or Christianity is for us to overcome our human weaknesses and also to be concerned about the poor and needy. This is in accordance with the first and the most important of the commandments:

Matthew 22 verses 37-40 ‘‘Jesus answered, you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with your entire mind, which is parallel to “You shall love your neighbour as yourself ”. The whole law and the prophets are founded on these two commandments.

St John Baptist De LaSalle was born in 1651 to a noble and aristocratic family in the city of Rheims in France. His father was a magistrate and the mother looked after the family of six brothers and a sister with St De La Salle as the eldest. As a child when St De La Salle went out of home with his mother, observed that there were street children neglected and forsaken by their parents and society. He also observed the concern his mother had for these underprivileged children. This situation was due to the social imbalance between the rich and the poor that existed in France in the 17th century. Due to the influence of the family, he was highly spirited and religious. Because of his intelligence, knowledge, and capacity at the age of 16, he was appointed as the Canon of the Cathedral church in the city of Rheims. At the age of 19, he entered a University in Paris and after completing one year he had to face a tense situation due to the death of his mother. Before long he lost his father and gave up his University education to look after the family. In extremely difficult conditions he completed his University studies in a University in his hometown.

At the age of 27, he has ordained a priest. A lady wrote a letter to St De La Salle suggesting that a school be opened for poor street children. Though many influential people were against this idea, within a month of completing the Doctorate he opened a school for the underprivileged children. The teachers recruited did not have any knowledge of teaching. St De La Salle believed that the children could be reformed only by good teachers and systematically trained teachers inculcating in them spiritual and educational values.

Though he had to face enormous difficulties he conquered all the obstacles and started the community of the St De La Salle Brothers and established the La Sallian education system in 1684.

St De La Salle decided to dedicate his entire life to the education of underprivileged and marginalized children. Today there are more than 7500 De La Salle Brothers serving in 81 countries.

In Sri Lanka along with the Rev.Fathers, the other Rev. Brothers, and Rev. Sisters, the De La Salle Brothers have contributed their share to establish Christian education in the country. The beneficiaries were from all ethnic and religious communities.

The number of Bishops, Priests, and religious produced by schools such as St Benedict’s College, St Sebastian’s College, and other La Sallian institutions indicates the contribution made by the De La Salle Brothers to Christian education in Sri Lanka. In addition to the professionals, administrators, and high-ranking officials in the Government service and private sector, the La Sallian education system has produced resourceful persons who are concerned about the poor, underprivileged, and marginalized people. There are many religious and lay past pupils of Christian Brothers doing a self-sacrificial and dedicated service in lay apostolate movements and social service organizations.

After the schools take over in 1961 there are restrictions to the services rendered by the De La Salle Brothers. This may be a discouragement for the Rev. Brothers and the numbers joining the De La Salle confraternity. With limited resources and facing extremely difficult situations, the Christian Brothers are still serving the Semi-Government, schools such as St Anne’s College- Kurunegala, De La Salle College -Mutwal, St Joseph’s College -Grandpass, and St Xavier’s College- Mannar. There are seven schools taken over by the Government presently not served by the Christian Brothers.

As followers of Lord Jesus Christ, according to the teaching of their great founder St John Baptist De La Salle, the Christian Brothers should educate and influence the youth to join the community of the La Sallian Brothers, so that the De La Salle Brothers can make a bigger impact in the Sri Lankan education system. The absence of this impact will create a void in the present situation of the country and the national education system. It is a bounden duty and responsibility of all who have benefited by the La Sallian education to encourage and support the development of the community of the De La Salle Brothers. I congratulate the Old Boys, and the Staff of St Xavier’s College on the sesquicentennial celebrations of the College and wish a successful future to all the Xaverians.

Thilak De Silva