The small school in the Knuckles Mountains that has impressed Sri Lanka
Galamuduna Kanishta School, a rural establishment with just 21 students and a one teacher, has achieved extraordinary results in the latest national exam. Janaka Dhanuddhara, who is both principal and teacher, walks several kilometres to reach the school, which has no Internet and few transportation options. A wave of solidarity has brought help, while parents are calling for more support to ensure a future for their children.
Colombo (Asia News) – Galamuduna Kanishta School, a small rural educational establishment nestled in the Knuckles (Dumbara) Mountain Range, Kandy District, recently drew national attention.
Its students achieved exceptional results in the latest G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) examination, a higher qualification that allows access to a vocational path or to continue with advanced studies.
This success was made possible by the dedication of the school's principal and only teacher, Janaka Dhanuddhara.
Of the five students who took the O/L exam last year, four passed with honours. Dhanuddhara, who teaches all subjects from grades 1 to 11, was the sole guide for these students.
“Our top-performing students, three girls and one boy, are getting ready to continue their studies," Janaka Dhanuddhara told AsiaNews. “The girls will study arts, while the boy will study commerce.”
The students will attend the Uda Wela Bandaranaike National School, about 15 kilometres away. This distance, combined with their families' socioeconomic difficulties, could prove more complicated than expected.
"We need a concrete solution for our school," Dhanuddhara stressed. “Recognising the students’ achievement, the Education Department should pay attention to our school and offer the assistance it needs it."
Galamuduna Kanishta School has 21 pupils (16 girls and 5 boys), with no access to the Internet, and students lack additional academic support, such as external tutorials (known as tuition classes in Sri Lanka).
To reach the school, students must walk about 10 kilometres through forested paths where wild elephants are frequently sighted, and then travel further by public transport.
Dhanuddhara himself, who lives in Mihintale (Central Province), walks about six kilometres to get to school every Monday morning and remains there until Friday, due to the lack of transportation and essential services in the area.
Despite these difficulties, news of the excellent results sparked a wave of solidarity.
“The school's name was published in the media, and became famous. As a result, we got a lot of help,” Dhanuddhara explained.
“We received smart boards and the necessary supplies for the students, such as books, pens, pencils, backpacks, shoes, uniforms, etc. A lot of people want to help us,” he added.
Parents and villagers also expressed great joy at the results and now hope for greater support from education authorities to improve the school's situation.
Dhanuddara is fully committed to the mission of teaching. “I wanted to get all these students to go through the O/L examination. We only need our determination and commitment, then we can achieve our target," he said.
" I am very happy with this achievement,” he added, “because I know how it happened and how many barriers and struggles I had to pass through to come to this end while making my students and their parents happy.”
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24/10/2019 17:56
