Dharmawickrama GS Kandy maintains an extensive range of opportunities
Dharmawickrama Girls’ College, Kandy is strong enough to be classed amongst the leading schools in the Kandy District due to its excellence in education. The college is surrounded by the picturesque Hantana Mountain Range and is situated in a land of 40 perches.
Dharmawickrama GS was inaugurated in 1907 as a mixed school with 15 students and three teachers. The establishment was backed by the adjoining “Bikkhu Monastery” named Lady Blake. The first principal was B.M.Amarasignhe.
Dharmawickrama Girls College has walked a long road of more than 105 years. Today it is boosted with nearly 1000 students and 51 members on the tutorial staff. Mrs. R. M. K. K. Ranatunga is the present principal. She was appointed as the fifth principal of the college. The current principal has decentralised administration to one deputy principal Mrs. J. M. Rathnasooriya and two assistant principals: Mr. W. M. Premarathna and Mrs. J. V. K. Hulangamuwa, the sectional heads and the subject heads to maintain a balanced management. During her tenure, the school has developed rapidly and became competitive in sports activities and extracurricular activities while performing exceptionally well in curriculum work as well.
Dharmawickrama has classes from Grade 1 to Grade 13. Advanced Level grades are conducted in Commerce and Arts, which include languages and aesthetics. Though the college is situated in a small land with limited facilities, such as a computer lab, science lab, a small Library and aesthetic units, it is a center of knowledge and the students are inculcated with courage and enthusiasm. Students of Dharmawickrama have done well in the academic field as well. The school programme comprises the Academic, the Co- Curricular and Sports components respectively and energetic contribution is encouraged in all the above three, with the aspiration of turning out a well-rounded student.
Compared with leading schools in town, the second level school principals and teachers do their best to bring good results to the school, as they receive only the remaining admission after the Grade 5 and G. C. E.( O/ L). Qualified students leave the school in search of better education. In such situations, the results which these schools get are quite satisfactory when compared with other leading schools.
Annually quite a few of their students enter universities and maintain a good average in all grades as well as the G. C. E. ( O/ L) and G. C. E. ( A/ L) examinations.
Dharmawickrama Girls College offers an extensive range of opportunities for students to become involved in different extracurricular activities. More than 10 Clubs and Societies Environmental Corps, Girl Guides, Red Cross, Disaster Management Unit, Computer Clubs and Sinhala Literary Association, are available to fuel their talents and interests of the students.
Annually numerous events are organised to bring out their hidden talents. The annual concert is staged at the Central Province Hindu Cultural Hall, while the Annual Media Festival is organised at the Kandy Y. M. B. A. The annual Art Exhibition and the Sports meets are also grand events which add prestige to the college.
The media unit publishes a monthly paper named “Swapna Yathra” which is highly appreciated among students and parents. The unit has bagged several awards at various competitions as well.
Also the school has recorded several achievements in the extracurricular field. The music, dancing, drama troupes and the debating team were able to gain many victories at Zonal, Provincial, District and All Island level competitions.
The tremendous success displayed by Dharmawickrama Girls with limited space and facilities is indeed an example to all up and coming schools.