Sri Sumangala Girls’ School will forever be in debt to this pioneering principal
Malini Ranasooriya – the first Sri Lankan Principal of Sri Sumangala Girls’ School, Panadura, who passed away on January 28, was one of Panadura’s distinguished personalities.
She was born on September 25, 1926, a few days before the Sri Sumangala Girls’ School itself was established. She had her entire school education there, proceeded to the University of Colombo and after graduation joined the staff of her alma mater. She succeeded Mrs. L. Vinson, the last European Principal in 1958. Mrs. Ranasooriya served in this position until her retirement on September 25, 1986. It seems as if Sri Sumangala Girls’ School was established for Mrs. Ranasooriya. Mrs. Ranasooriya was always elegantly dressed, her saree draped in Indian style. The fall of the saree was pinned in place on her left shoulder with a matching brooch. Her endearing smile and gentle ways won her the admiration of the staff and students.
Her mild exterior camouflaged the disciplinarian. I recall how firmly she acted when one day during the period of civil unrest in the country, the children were forced to participate in street protests during the interval. The school bell was rung to notify the children that the interval was over and the children were instructed to go to their classes. Then she calmly announced that anyone who wished to go to the road would leave the school gates never ever to return within. All the students went back to their classes calmly.
Mrs. Ranasooriya was very keen to develop the reading habit among the students. She developed a wellequipped library for the school and continued to improve the collection of books in the library. Every six months or so she and the writer would visit the well-known bookshops in Colombo and buy books for the library. It was compulsory for students to borrow an English and Sinhala book weekly. The librarian was instructed to question the student about the English book to ensure that the book was read.
English and Sinhala Literary Association meetings were held alternately every Wednesday after school. The activities at the meetings were varied and enjoyable. Spelling Bee competitions, Do You
Know Contests, short plays, poetry contests were some of the events at these meetings. At that time the school had a set of dedicated teachers who devoted their time to train the students in these activities. Mrs.Ranasooriya was always there to guide them. Not to be outdone were the Western Music and sports activities. The drill squads too need special mention as the school won many first places in the All Island contests. She was interested in promoting the arts and literature as well as sports. The school presented a successful public performance of an opera named, ‘Nala – Karaya’ – an adaptation of the ‘The Pied of
Hamelin’ by Robert Browning. The school won many first places in the Inter-School Drama and Poetry Competitions in the Kalutara District held in 1969 to mark the centenary year of the establishment of the Ministry of Education.
Mrs. Ranasooriya was a devout Buddhist and a daayika of the Rankoth Viharaya as well as the Welipitiya Temple, Nalluruwa. The day after Poya, she would invite a monk to deliver a sermon at the morning assembly. On important Poya days, such as Vesak and Poson a‘ sil’ campaign would be organised with the help of the Buddhist Society of the school. For the Esala
Poya, the teachers and pupils would sew baby shirts for the new-born babies at the Maternity Ward of the Panadura Hospital. The well rounded education yielded results. Thus during her tenure as Principal, the school produced many eminent professionals, doctors, lawyers, scientists among others.A highlight of her career was when she had the rare opportunity to walk and talk with royalty when Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Sri Lanka in the early 1980s.
May her sojourn in Samsara be short and may she attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.