Experience as a Teacher
Embilipitiya Central School
During the 17 years of my service as a teacher, I have been able to work with nine Principals. The first Principal I met was Mr. Wimal Jayasekara at Embilipitiya Central School. My first appointment was to Embilipitiya Central. When I went to assume duties there, he refused to accept my letter of appointment. Then I had to argue with him. Finally, he accepted my letter, but he wanted instructions from the ministry. He wrote to the Education Ministry for instructions but he didn't receive any. For over six months, he didn't give me a time table. But I remember, one day he sent me to grade four to teach creative art. I believe he played a joke with me as he wanted to underestimate my teaching skills. But after six months the deputy Principal of the school gave me a time table to teach Buddhism for some classes. When I was demonstrating my skills of teaching, the Principal as well as the members of the staff understood that I am also capable of doing some sort of work for the school. As time went on he developed a positive attitudes towards me, he became a good Principal to me. From 1985 to 1988 I served there. I was able to organize a musical show. I used to type most of the question papers for the school examinations. I gave my fullest cooperation to conduct a literary festival. In 1985 I helped in organizing the village reawakening festival organized for the government , by training the students for the main song. Unfortunately there were some teachers who were very jealous of me. During that period teachers who left school due to various reasons, were given awards in recognition of their services to the school, but I was not given any as they never appreciated my service in any way. In Embilipitiya, I worked under two other Principals but they neither recognized my services nor did they put me into any difficult situations. I carried on regardless. Anyway one Principal didn't like me as I did not condone his misdeeds and misbehavior. Now he is in prison for a ten year period due to his notorious activities.
Kiriella Central School
In 1989, I was compelled to get a transfer to another school as the Principal was not well disposed towards me as I was blind. I made a request to the Ratnapura education office to give me a transfer and they immediately responded. Within two days I got a transfer to the Kiriella Central in the same district where the former Principal of the Embilipitiya Central was serving. Although he refused my assumption of duties when he was at Embilipitiya, he cordially welcomed me at Kiriella Central and introduced me to the children going from class to class. And also he introduced me at the assembly saying my performance in Embilipitiya. He strongly emphasized my performance in time. The other Principals in Kiriella were also had very cordial relations with me as well as the teachers.
Meegahathenna CentralSchool
From February 1990, to date I have been working at the Meegahathenna Central which is my home town. The most unfortunate incident occurred here although my home town is Meegahathenna. Most of the staff and the students didn't know me though I am a native of Meegahathenna because, I have been away in Colombo and in other parts of the Island since 1958. At Meegahathenna, the first Principal I met was Mr. Gunathilake a very industrious and painstaking person. He was very active. Although I requested various matters before the staff, he didn't take any revenge from me. He didn't accept some of my very constructive criticisms. He allowed me to perform my duties very independently. He didn't interfere with my duties because, he believed that, although I am totally blind, I worked properly. He gave me 32 periods per week without considering my disability. I was very popular among the students because of my teaching. Unfortunately, the Director Of Education didn't allow that Principal to perform his duties properly. He was compelled to retire from government service.
Thereafter, in 1991 Mr Satis Kalugalearachchi assumed duties as the Principal of the Meegahatenna Central. As far as I was concerned, he was a good gentleman but not a good Principal. At staff meetings I used to criticise the administration and make suggestions to improve the administration of the school. He didn't want to implement most of the significant proposals put forward by me. As soon as I came to the school, I noticed that the school canteen had been run by a person for a long time without giving any income to the school. According to the experience I gained at Embilipitiya and Kiriella schools, the canteen keeper gave some of his profits to the school. That is why, I recommended such a change at the Meegahatenna school too. Members of the staff including the Principal didn't want to implement such a proposal due to their personal connections with the canteen keeper. Some members of the staff started a mud slinging campaign against me maliciously, but I didn't stop my campaign for the sake of the school. I am very happy to say now my proposal has became a reality after eight years. Now the school receives Rs 552.50 per day as income to the school. But nobody says this is a result of my struggle.
The school Telephone:-
This school had a telephone from 1988 to 1989. The then Principal, members of the staff and the people outside the school misused the telephone. As a result, in 1989 it was disconnected. I have been making several proposals to restore the telephone since 1990. But they didn't listen to me. However, in 1998 the telephone was restored after all the arrears were paid from the money received from the canteen. If the school administration listen to me in 1990 they would have reinstalled the telephone after paying a sum of Rs 7500.00 as a reinstallation charge. But in 1998, the school had to spend Rs 30000.00 for reinstallation of the telephone.
Second Canteen:-
Until 1993, the school had one canteen. According to the location of the school, I proposed to start another canteen in the school premises. The Principal accepted it. I with another four teachers also contribute some money to start the canteen. So the eyes of the staff opened with jealousy. When an outsider was running a canteen without giving any profit to the school, teachers kept quiet. But when I entered the scene, they spread a canard that I was making money from the canteen. They didn't drag the names of the other four.
My aim was not to make money, but to run a separate canteen for the advanced level classes, I used to go to the canteen to buy my requirements so. However the teachers spread a rumor that I was a business minded teacher. The final result was that the school development society was able to get Rs 552.50 per day as the income from the canteen as a result of my long time of struggle. But no one speaks about my contribution towards this achievement.
Toilet Facility:-
As soon as I assumed duties at this school, I found the school lacked sufficient toilet facilities. The toilets that were available were not suitable for use. There was a toilet kept closed which was built for, the then President J.R.Jayawardene, when he came for a ceremony. At a staff meeting I proposed to construct a lavatory specially for my needs. But the staff didn't were not concerned about my needs. They decided to repair the closed toilet and to open it for the sighted staff and the visitors. They didn't consider my special difficulties as a blind person. I wrote a letter to a provincial counselor about the lack of toilet facilities in this school. But the Principal didn't want to sign it. However I handed it over to the provincial counselor with my signature. As a result of that letter he provided Rs 40,000/= for the construction of two toilets for the school. But nobody said even a single word about of my initiative.
News Paper Stand:-
I collected some money from the students and made a news paper stand and decided to provide three news papers daily for the students to read. I continued this for over three years. All the teachers and the students read these papers daily. One day at the staff meeting, a teacher said that I was taking these news papers home which had never happened. I immediately stood up and scolded and challenged the teacher to prove it. Even the Principal knew that the teacher's alligation was baseless. The Principal didn't speak even a single word on my behalf. In another staff meeting, another teacher said that he had not seen such newspapers in this school. On that day I understood not only I was blind, also the other members of the staff were totally blind, because no one said the particular teacher's allegations are untrue and baseless.
welfare society:-
When things are going, I understood the welfare society of the school also going on the wrong direction. According to its activities I noticed that there were corruptions and malpractices at the society. I always raised such matters before the meeting. Therefore, some of the teachers were angry with me. One year, one teacher proposed my name to the president of the society and another teacher seconded it. I was elected as the president unanimously. But the teachers who were always against me started of mud slinging. Someone had said that they are not ready to cooperate with a blind president and they felt it was an underestimate of the sighted teachers. I also decided to safeguard my personality and started to perform my duties as a president although I am a blind person.
Once I was elected as the president of the school welfare society unanimously. When I was elected none was against it openly, but some of the sighted staff were very angry for this. Some teachers scolded one of their colleagues who proposed my name for the presidency.
One day a teacher collected money among the teachers for some ceremony, and she didn't ask money from me, and she spread an idea that I am not willing to contribute money. All the staff took her side and decided not to contribute money for that ceremony until I contribute for it. At the welfare society meeting they held a campaign against me. But when the sighted teachers are not contributing for such purposes all the teachers are keeping silence. This is how the sighted teachers response towards the blind teachers in some of the normal schools.
Principals
The experiences which I have gained from the Meegahathenne, some principals are most vulnerable people to the blind teachers in the normal schools. They are very jealous and cruel. While the principals and the teachers are misusing the common properties for their own purposes For example, when I wanted to get a telephone call from the school telephone, they did not like to give me. But using their power and authority, the principal and the staff were using the telephone for their private matters. If the principals are in good attitude towards the blind teachers, they can perform their duties very successfully in the normal schools. If not, it will be a great disaster for the disabled teacher. I can remember another principal who came to the Meegahathenna central was well experienced and well trained. But unfortunately he was mislead by the teachers towards me and as a result of that, he also tried to insult me even though I have not been working with him any day before he come to this school.
Although the some principals and some of the staff members were jealous towards me, they didn't show in openly. Meanwhile, one principal came from Matara after freeing him from interdiction, I understood that he was totally depending on lies. He said that he is having several degrees such as B.A, M.A, B.Sc, MSc, etc., He wanted to show that he is the most qualified principal in Meegahathenna area, and he wanted to insult others. As I was the only blind teacher in the staff, although I am disabled, he knew my educational qualifications from the staff. As soon as he understood that I have more qualifications than him, he decided to condemn and insult me openly with the support of the staff members. He openly advised the school prefects and the monitors, as well as the staff not to help me. Although other members of the staff were allowed to bring their sons and daughters to the school from the primary school, he didn't allow me to do so. I am very sorry to state that the staff members those who have worked over 10 years, also supported to do so. I was asked to do my work alone. He gave my subject to another teacher who was not qualified to do it according to the circular issued by the government ministry. But I kept silent. I never challenged him, over a six month period. Finally I decided to challenge him openly. I invited him to my house for a dinner and I explained him my situation. He listened to me quietly and he understood the mistakes he made over the six months and he agreed me not to continue such a behavior further. After that, until he left the school I gave my fullest cooperation to administer the school in a proper manner. I am very proud to say that in one assembly he said openly that my contribution to him made it easy to perform his duties properly. He clearly understood that I am an impartial person rather than other members of the staff, although I am totally blind. I never take any revenge from him. Still I have close contacts with him over the telephone.
As a whole, I never believe that almost all the teachers do not perform their duties properly. We all should remember that the blindness is a severely affecting disability in the developing countries rather than developed countries, due to not having enough facilities to perform their duties. They are not given opportunity to do so. However, if the principals clearly understood the abilities rather than disabilities of a blind person, they can use the blind person's skills and talents in a proper way. The principals should appreciate their services rather than insulting and condemning them.
Date of open this page:-Satutday March 24,2001
Last Date of editing this page: Saturday, January 12, 2002