Minister Bandula revised his cattle-keeping job

If not for Madhya Maha Vidyalayas ... today I might have been   a boy tending cattle

Minister of Education Mr. Bandula Gunawardena said in Matara recently that it was Madhya Maha Vidyalaya education that brought him to this level and that if not so, instead of becoming a Minister, he may have turned into a boy tending cattle.
This is what he said on the occasion of laying the foundation stone for the Matara Madhya Maha Vidyalaya Technological Unit: "At the time we were studying, the teachers told us that it's quite enough that we kept playing and dancing about and if it didn't come under the syllabus,those subjects were removed. There was no separation in the syllabus in the case of boys or girls where Free Education was concerned. To be brought up decently, mixed schools were introduced. Children of rural labourers, of technically skilled parents .... all did higher studies and climbed the ladder to the top. During that time, Mr. Iriyagolla even changed the system of popular schools and categorized the schools. In order to stabilize Free Education .... even free meals, free uniforms and books were given. For students who failed in Maths at the O/L, gates of the school was closed.

In 1955, 223000 out of the total children were barred from school. Though rural children were unsuccessful, can't there be players like Sanath Jayasuriya, education stalwarts like Munidasa Cumaratunge? Because of this tragedy brought upon from '77 these children avenged the parents who brought them up and the teachers as well. If the 54 Madhya Maha Vidyalayas weren't built up,which was the brainchild of Mr. Kannangara ....today I might have become a boy looking after cattle".