Prize Giving - 2009

The annual College prize giving was held on Friday, 9th October 2009 at the College Hall.
The chief guest : Dr. Nimal Sanderatne & Mrs. Indra Sanderatne.

Warden’s Report 2009

The academic and sporting achievements we celebrate today occurred in 2008 and the early part of 2009, and so as a warden installed in July 2009 I am in this respect rather like the man in the Bible who “reaps what he has not sown”. Nonetheless, that serves to remind us all, wardens included, that the traditions and strengths of a school are based upon a past to which we did not contribute and will find further fruit in a future we will not see. We are all transient in the history of a great school, and the fruits of any year are only one of the harvests that arise from the work of many years.

Yet, even as a warden who reaps what he has not sown, I am also reminded that we can only reap what someone has at some tine sown, and that what we strive to achieve must be based upon proper intentions. Perhaps the most remarkable and most satisfying of S. Thomas’ achievements is that whereas, like all schools, it continues to take in children who are little more than infants and send out adults who are almost grown men, the qualities of those who leave it are those of mature, self-confident, resilient, resourceful citizens ready to make their mark in further education or in employment. Sri Lankan society is enriched in every aspect by Thomians who occupy significant responsible positions, and it is worth remembering that not all of them earned prizes on occasions such as these, and many of them, dare one say it, were probably keener on their sports and their social interactions when here than they were on their studies. But academic achievement without personal maturity and responsibility has little merit, and personal maturity and responsibility without the intellectual equipment and skills to make a mark upon the world have little impact, the school song, sung as lustily now as ever it has been, reminds us all that life is about a complex mixture and integration of what we have and what we are, and the measurable concrete achievement we celebrate today may be considered a kind of having while the general rich fruit of S. Thomas’ long traditions and the ongoing work of its staff and boys may be seen as a kind of being, and so “To the College we sing, for all we have and are”.

It was Sir Isaac Newton, perhaps the greatest English scientist and mathematician, who once responded to praise for his work by saying “I have seen further only because I stood upon the shoulders of giants”, and that modesty is something that should be in our minds as we watch and applaud today all the young men and boys who have achieved so much: their success is a testament to the work of our predecessors in providing us with a school at all; to their teachers for nurturing them over many years during which all of them will at some time have needed encouragement and special help; to the support staff who clean and feed them, who cut the grass and paint the walls and try to avoid the power going off as much as possible; to the Old Boys and other benefactors who continue to support the school in so many ways, financially and through work experience and other help with day to-day workings of the college. And of course their greatest debt of gratitude, to often left unspoken or unsung, is to their long-suffering parents who endured the torture of the admissions process and have risen at ungodly hours for years and years either to get them to school or to very early sports practices. To all these essential members of the Thomian community, and especially to the many boys who will not walk upon this stage today but whose involvement in the school is every bit as essential to its health and the facilitation of its learning, we owe immeasurable thanks and gratitude.

Since in another year it will seem rather a remote memory, however, on behalf of everyone from Board Of Governors to the humblest member of staff or most junior boy, I would like to add a special word of thanks to the Sub Warden, upon the mantle of David Ponniah fell unexpectedly and who discharged his duties as Acting Warden for almost a year with great distinction. To him the entire community owes a particular debt of gratitude and thanks.

The college continues to try to do its work in the face of considerable difficulties. Parental concerns over the government position on compulsory Sinhala and Tamil qualifications in religious studies and history are properly at the top of our immediate agenda. The ongoing need to find the financial resources necessary to maintain and enhance the facilities of a school blessed with wonderful buildings and grounds which cost a great deal to look after is never far away; the pressing need to improve the remuneration of teaching-staff in order to make teaching a more attractive proposition for new graduates is particularly demanding in a resurgent economy which will generate greater and greater demands for well-qualified graduates; and the absolute necessity of bringing the school; up to date It equipment and skills will make demands on our resources that are frighteningly large.

Writing in his report in July last year my predecessor continued to lament the elusiveness of peace, and even at my interview in January the promise of peace still looked more a dream held in hope than a reality shortly to be achieved. Yet the extraordinary tenacity with which the government pursued the cause of establishing a lasting peace has brought about a change in Sri Lanka that probably has no precedent since independence in 1948, and we all now look to the future with renewed optimism. There is absolutely no doubt that the peace and prosperity of the country depends upon the full integration and mutual respect of all its citizens, and equally no doubt that the friendships that Thomians form while here as boys will serve to add stronger bonds to that social cohesion as they have done through more troubled times. We must all make our contribution to helping this great nation to win the peace just as so many gave their lives to win the war.

For all the pomp and ceremony associated with the installation of a new warden, no warden worthy of the post can ever allow himself to forget Jesus’ saying, “he who would be greatest among you must be servant of all”. The responsibilities of this office are huge, as are the expectations so many have of its incumbents. Sometimes the burden of office involves saying things that people do not want to hear and doing things that people do not think should be done. But in this as in we do, are these things we say, solely driven and motivated by concern to enhance the education of our boys? Our celebration today is witness to the successes of the past; it falls to all of us to ensure that there will at least as much success in the future.

Some Facts and Figures

In December 2008, 168 students were presented for the GCE (O/L) examination of which 165 students qualified for the A/L classes. Six of these students obtained 9 A’s and 11 students obtained 8 A’s and 1B.

The College continues to offer the GCE Advanced Level Courses in Sinhala, Tamil, English and the London Advanced Level programme of the Edexcel Examination Board. The school presented 148 students for the Sri Lanka GCE A/L examination in August 2008 and over 60% of the candidates passed in all 3 subjects. Special mention should be made of S.A Wijesinha and P.D.H. Ananda who were placed 4th and 8th respectively in the district ranking.

Many boys secured entry to foreign universities based on the results of the London A/L examination. Special mention should be made of T.M. Fernando and C.V. Fernando who both secured admission to Imperial College for undergraduate studies.

The year 2008 saw several additions and improved washroom facilities for the Lower School was completed in August 2008 with contributions from two Old Boys and the Parent Teachers’ Association.

The Thomian class of ’91 was instrumental in gifting a new floodlit basketball court to the College.

The facilities to the Middle & Upper School were augmented with the addition of a new building comprised of an art room, music room and a room for life skills. The extra space will add value to the aesthetic subjects available to the students.

The refurbishment of the Chapel of the Transfiguration was marked with a special Service of Thanksgiving held on 7th December 2008. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the large number of Old Boys, parents and well-wishers who contributed generously to this project. Our thanks are due to the Old Boys who offered their skills in an honorary capacity with advice on architecture and engineering. Above all we thank our Lord God for making all this possible.

Staff

In December 2008, Dr David Ponniah ended his tenure as the 16th Warden of this College. A great deal has already been written and said about his eight years in office. Here we will add to them only by thanking him deeply for his period of stewardship and wishing him and his wife all the best for everything that they may undertake in the future.

The College is blessed with qualified and experienced staff whose efforts make an irreplaceable contribution to the achievements of our boys., some of the most distinguished of which are recognized in today’s prize giving. We thank them for their diligence and commitment and for the loyalty they demonstrate to the school. At the present we have 150 on the Tutorial Staff and 49 on the Administrative Staff.

The following members of staff joined the Thomain family during the year:

Mrs N. Walpola, Mrs M.K. Rawdin, Mr K.K. Udayakumar, Mrs N.P. Senanayake and Mr G. Nesaseelan.

The following members of staff left during the year:

Revd Canon D.E.L. Weerasuriya, Ms S. Jayasekara, Mrs P.C. Samararatna, Mrs H.P.M.S Jayasena, Mrs D.P. Fernando, Mr S. Wickremaratne, Mrs R.M.C. Abeynaike, Mrs S. Perera, Mrs V.I. Weerakoon, Mr T.S. Wellappili, Mr S.L. Sellapperuma, Mrs C.T. Thomas, Ms A.S Perera, Mrs N. Srikantha, Mr K. Thillekeratna and Mrs. C. Meegodavithane.

We thank all the staff that have left during the year for their services and wish them well for the future.