He identified our strengths and weaknesses and mentored us very well
Chandra Kumara Waidyaratne was born in Galle, in 1936 as the eldest son of Ayurvedic physician Dharmasena Waidyaratne and Pesonona Premaratne. He had two younger siblings, Bandula and Pushpa.
He had his primary and secondary education at Mahinda College Galle and contributed to his alma mater as an outstanding chemistry teacher for many years culminating his services to the school as its principal.
Generations of Mahindians benefitted from the legendary teaching skills of Mr Waidyaratne, achieving success at the GCE Advanced Level examination in chemistry. He spared no pains to make us understand the subject and to motivate us as students. He had an excellent command of English and as a master of his subject, he knew to put across the subject matter in a simple understandable manner making it more interesting. He had the skill of breaking up complex topics to bite size chunks to make us understand them better.
He taught by building on our pre-existing knowledge to make our learning material appear more familiar. At a time when overhead projections were unheard of, he was ever ready to use chalk and blackboard whenever he felt sketches and diagrams were helpful.
Mr Waidyaratne could pick students who were looking perplexed from their body language and he went an extra mile to make them understand the lesson. As much as finding students in difficulty he had the knack of identifying the more advanced learners and he often made use of them to teach others – which is now an accepted teaching/learning method known as peer learning. He identified our strengths and weaknesses and mentored us very well.
Mr Waidyaratne covered the chemistry syllabus ahead of time and thereafter made us answer past papers. He gave us feedback on our performance which we thought was very accurate. We could approach him to get further explanations about anything we could not understand, even after the class. These were times when we did not have any private tuition classes.
He was an excellent role model who inspired us and he often referred to his stellar students who were successful doctors or university dons to inspire us. His students have excelled as doctors, engineers, scientists and university academics all over Sri Lanka and in many countries across the world.
He was a simple man who walked to school from his place of residence about one kilometre away. He valued education much more than money. Mr Waidyaratne was a strict disciplinarian and his influence in this sphere was amply evident in the school when he was the principal of Mahinda College for a short period during the 1980s.
Mr Waidyaratne was married to late Swarnalatha Indatissa. He is survived by his three loving children Eisha, Haritha and Champika; in-laws, Channa Yahathugoda and Ruwini Wickremaratne; grandchildren, Chethanika and Tisserika Yahathugoda, and Vihas Waidyaratne. May he attain the supreme bliss of nirvana.