It’s the ‘Principal’ Of It: Valuable insights from a well-known educationist
“I have often been asked what I feel is the most important character ingredient necessary for a teacher (apart from the knowledge of the subject being taught) and my answer would be that a sense of humour places a good teacher above all others,” notes Goolbai Gunasekara, one of the country’s most respected educationists, in the author’s note of her latest compilation It’s the ‘Principal’ of It.
The book is a compilation of Goolbai’s articles on a broad spectrum of education-related topics which were published in the Lanka Monthly Digest (LMD) over the past three years. Daughter of the celebrated educationist, Clara Motwani whose contribution towards Visakha Vidyalaya is phenomenal and the eminent scholar, Dr. Kewal Motwani, Goolbai’s career both as a teacher and as a Principal spans over 55 years. However, as she candidly admits in the Author’s Note, “one may not love one’s students but may enjoy teaching them. Obviously one needs to like them but sentimental reasons for becoming a teacher have never been on the cards for me.”
An author of nine more books on diverse topics, Goolbai’s latest, It’s the ‘Principal’ of It, charters through myriad dimensions of education including the pitfalls of teach- er recruitment, art of building confidence, dealing witha special child, vortex of higher education, the myth of free education, gullible parents Vs ‘smart’ tutors, substandard degrees and even yoga in education.
With an Honours Degree in History behind her, Goolbai was awarded an honor- ary doctorate by the Open University of Alternative Medicine. She also won the Zonta ‘Woman of the Year’ award in Education in 1995 and has been the recipient of many accolades in the past in recognition of her contribution to education. In 2016 Goolbai was named “Inspirational Woman of the Year’ by the Professional and Career Women’s Association and was awarded a gold medal.
The founder Principal of the Asian International School and presently a Director of the same, Goolbai is also remembered for the adventures of Kit Kat and her long suffering grandmother which she penned for the Ceylon Daily News. As Dr. Sarath Amunugama notes in the Foreword to the book, “these tales were so well and lovingly told that readers would go through the day in good humour and with a smile on their lips.”
The author’s observation in one of her articles that “teaching is not just another job; although sad to say, this is what it has become in Sri Lanka,” is a timely bugle call no doubt. She further reminds that teaching is certainly ‘not a 9 to 5 career which can be conveniently pushed to the back of one’s mind after school is over.”
A Sarasavi publication, It’s the ‘Principal’ of It promises readers valuable insights urging them all to revisit our educational set-up at a time when it faces unprecedented trials.
‘It’s the ‘Principal’ of It’ will be launched on Wednesday, March 28 at 6 p.m. at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.