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| Sunday, 5 December 2004 |
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Edith Ridge introduced Swabasha to Southlands before 1956 by Shantha Manawadu Abeysekera Southlands College was begun as an English Medium Education institution in the latter part of the 19th century in accordance with the education policies which prevailed at the time from the beginning of the 20th century.
Documented historic records in some detail become available. The inspirational service rendered by some principals like M. E. Ludovici, M. Westlake, M. Freethy and Edith Ridge guided many Southlands. I too entered Southlands during the period of Edith Ridge, who passed away in UK at the age of 99, (four years ago). She devoted the majority of her life in Sri Lanka spending most of the time to develop Southlands College, Galle to groom it as a major educational institution in the country. She stepped on to the shores of Sri Lanka in 1929 as a young English trained graduate to be the vice-principal of Southlands when Mabel Freethy was the principal and succeeded her as the principal in 1935 and served the school until she retired in 1956 as the last English missionary principal of Southlands. She along with Freethy had developed the school in the academic field as well as in many extra-curricular activities, some of which were considered as very special features in a school curriculum during that period. During the colonial period urban middle class who had their education in the English medium used to imitate the western culture and Sinhala was relegated to the background and some schools fined students when they talked in Sinhala. At Southlands, special emphasis was given to teach Sinhala as well as Sinhala literature, and also Pali language. A Sinhala stage drama was a special feature in the programme of 'Southlands Week' which was celebrated annually where all the main school events sandwitched into one week. Sinhala plays which were produced by the school were based on Jathaka stories or a historical legend of ancient Sri Lanka or India and had brought much popularity to the college during that period. Children enjoyed themselves singing selected popular Sinhala songs at singing competitions in the school. Oriental dancing was introduced by Miss Ridge and children thoroughly enjoyed their lessons every Thursday when the late Herman Perera, the popular dancing master from Payagala joined the staff. He continued his services until we were able to stage Kusa Jatakaya in Colombo at Lumbini Theatre in 1970, being the last stage drama that the school produced. Thus priority was given to our mother tongue encouraging the students to gain knowledge in Sinhala language and culture. Miss Ridge continued and improved the great work initiated by Miss Freethy and tried her best to solve the problems which occurred during the period of her administration. She had to face two of the darkest periods in the history of the school in 1942 during the World War II she had to face the unprecedented problem of evacuating the entire school to a safer area and very cheerfully understood the challenge and a temporary home for Southlanders was found at Hirimbura, a few miles away from the city and established the school back in Fort at the end of the War. The second major problem was to find suitable accommodation for the rapidly increasing number of students. Miss Ridge started constructing some buildings to overcome this problem. Queenee Abeywardena writing an article in the college magazine titled 'Opening of the New Building at Southlands' says, "When the foundation stone for this building was laid on July 19th 1952, people humorously called it Miss Ridge's wedding day. Miss Ridge equal to the occasion affirmed that the marriage could not take place till the dowry was complete. The dowry would be settled when the third storey would be completed and equipped, and then we celebrated the nuptials in true Southland fashion!" Thus Miss Ridge's wonderful dream, the new building was opened on December 8, 1956, free of debt and amidst great joy and fanfare. The 'Ridge Building' became a 'Rich Building' housing a large number of classrooms, an art room, science laboratory, Principal's quarters and the college office and to date the three storeyed Ridge Building stands as a monument of Miss Ridge's labour of love for Southlands throughout a period of more than 40 years. When she left Southlands in 1956 the school presented her a beautiful bedspread, a unique gift which she loved to receive. It was one of the items she cherished and preserved very carefully until her demise. The gift, was a magnificent bedspread, a product of the Home Economics department of the school recording the names of each and every one of the 667 students enroled at that time within the coloured circles indicating their houses along with the names of the staff members, the school crest proudly embedded in the middle and it was completed very beautifully by the talented past pupil, the late Wilhelmina Dantanarayana. Miss Ridge was very kind and thoughtful to request her niece Angela Pinder to return this valuable bedspread to the school after her demise through her devoted past pupil in UK, Swarna Goonesekera who, with great care sent it over to me through another past pupil Manique Edirisinha to be handed over to the school which will be deposited with all the mementos of Southlands College School Archives which the school is currently in the process of establishing and would be a reality in near future. Miss Ridge was a pillar of strength among Southlands during her era. She was a lovable Principal, a very kind teacher, a counsellor, a friend, a guide and a true mother for all those who loved her. Even though Miss Ridge said good by to her missionary life in Sri Lanka she always loved to be in Sri Lanka with her friends. She treated our country as her second home. In an article written by her to the Ceylon Methodist Record 1964 she has said "When I am in the ocean I unconsciously talk about 'going home', whichever way I am going, whether it is to England or to Ceylon. It is rather like watching a match between two schools, and you are not sure which side you are in." When Miss Ridge passed away, Angela Pinder, her niece sent us a document written by Miss Ridge herself describing her missionary life in Sri Lanka. At the end of her document she had stated that: "I am sometimes asked how I pass my time. The days are never long enough. It is a great joy to have friends for a meal or to stay with me, especially Sri Lankans who are in UK. Since I finally retired I have been back to Sri Lanka four times to visit the many friends I have there, to whom I owe so much, and from whom I have learnt so much." Miss Leila Solomon who succeeded Miss Ridge as Principal in 1956 writes thus after Miss Ridge's retirement in 1956: "Miss Ridge has won the respect and affection of the people in Galle. Rich and poor, young and old, found in her a faithful friend. Their joys and sorrow she shared... Southlands will always remember her for the lovely building which is her gift to the school." Even though Miss Ridge is not among us today we cannot forget the glorious past we had with her at Southlands for many years. To many of us she was a symbolic thread which helped Southlanders to 'knit together' as is emphasised in our school motto. Miss Ridge will always be remembered by all her loved ones as a lovable personality found very rarely in a generation |
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