The Island 21/Sept 2020: A PLACE TO TREASURE AND REMEMBER By Capt Elmo Jayawardena

There is a little school, very old in years, that nestles at the foot of Piduruthalagala, the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. This is in Nuwara Eliya; Little England as it was fondly known in colonial times. When the clock strikes at 8 in the morning, the school bell tolls to begin the day’s work and at 2 pm the bell rings again to signal the end of a school day. I do not know how many students are currently registered in the school. Maybe around 700, all boys, all day-scholars. I already said the school is old, but the correct definition may be ‘ancient’.

The start was in 1859 as the records go, 33 students and a single teacher made up the total. Such was its humble beginning. From then to the present day is an unbroken line of service given by St Xavier’s College, which has done its best to survive and cater to the needs of the community. It has rendered yeoman services in the field of education, irrespective of the winds that blew to shake its foundations, be them political, religious, or racial monsoons that periodically battered the very walls of St Xavier’s College.

The school withstood the calamities. It may have dents and cracks, but still stands tall with pride. The credit must go to the staunch minority of faithful Xaverians, both young and old, who did their very best to keep the school flag aloft.

The structure at the beginning was almost like a shed, a ramshackle roof for shelter attached to one side of the small St Xavier’s church. This was common for most church schools that saw their birth at that time. Maybe they had desks and chairs, but I doubt very much. Probably may have had some wooden benches, or more likely, the kids may even have sat on the ground on reed mats. What was important in this makeshift equation was the fact that the school gave admission to all and sundry. With almost equal numbers of Tamil and Sinhalese students, perhaps a Muslim and a Burgher or two may have made up the 33. Today we have more accurate numbers. The Tamil students are the majority at 78% and the Sinhala counterparts are a 20% with a minor representation of Muslims and perhaps a mixed Burgher. The cocktail of races in a classroom could be the best possible catalyst for future racial harmony. Yes, we have a cold peace now, it only needs a cinder to ignite the fire of hatred. Schools such as St Xaviers are the best-known remedy, home-grown deterrents, teaching child minds to respect and understand racial differences.

Historically, the institute was started as a Parish School by Catholic priests, Fr Adrian Bertrand Duffo and Fr John Peter Perreard. Many a cassocked leader took the reins to guide the school as the years rolled. Student numbers increased, a roof or two were added and in 1920 it was registered as an English School under the leadership of Rev. Fr Alexander Siriwardena. It was also Fr Siriwardena who initiated the construction of a proper school building in 1920 which marks its 100 years of existence and service to the school this year. This is a celebration. The Siriwardena Block has seen better days and was tumbling down to almost become a ruin. It is time some authority, either the school or Education Ministry made a decision to renovate the building, spruced up and gave it a ‘born again’ look to celebrate its 100th birthday. The state it is now is sad, Siriwardena Block deserves better.

Let’s go back to the past and ponder on the administration. The changes came to the powers that governed the school. The Catholic priests bade their farewells and the De La Salle Brothers took over. Their reign came to an end in the year 1961, when schools were taken over by the Government. St. Xaviers too was acquired by the State through a gazette notification. That is the simple and fundamental story of St Xavier’s College, Nuwara Eliya.

I do not think the school sent anyone to play cricket for the national team. Of course I know they played good soccer and played reasonable basketball and had talented athletes who took part in all-island competitions. Though St Xaviers had no connection to golf, it was Xeverian-bred golfer K. Prabaharan who out shone them all when in 2003 he won the National Golf Championship and went on to win the All India Championship in 2007. In scholastics maybe there are some old boys who completed their tertiary education. All that can be ascertained from the records if anyone is interested. Yes, it is good to keep tab of such details. But, could we measure the most important factor? The basic education given to Nadarajan, Munidasa, Barthelot and Hameed, and the hundreds who came from different racial backgrounds to sit in one classroom and forge friendships that could last a lifetime? That will always be the invisible silver thread that bound Old Xaverians. In a deeper and meaningful sense isn’t that worth more than a century scored at Kettarama or a PhD from Texas?

Yes, yardsticks could be different, but there is incalculable value that the little school at the foot of the Mountain poured into those who grew up in its shade.

Perhaps Piduruthalagala from its vantage view saw the whole story, maybe shed a tear or two for some of the governing absurdities, and yet silently cheered the goodness that existed within the walls of this sesquicentennial institution of education.

Capt Elmo Jayawardena

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