Erosion of unique and priceless secularism of Royal College

When the Colombo Academy was launched in 1835, we were under the British Empire. Despite many of its earliest principals being Anglican priests, Royal College (RC) was kept strictly secular throughout its existence. Until very recently!

During the 450 years under European rulers, the earliest schools started by the missionaries were clearly of religious denominations. As much as educating the offspring of higher echelons of society, the mission of the missionaries was to convert the future leadership.

As time went by every other religious entity followed suit to counter Catholic/Christian influence. Henry Olcott Steel and Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala started a chain of Buddhist schools such as Ananda, Nalanda, Mahinda, Dharmaraja, Maliyadeva, etc. Hindus sent theirs to Hindu schools and Muslims to theirs. But RC, considered to be the epitome of public schools to date, and often referred to as one of the best and lasting gifts by the British Empire, continued to remain secular, watching silently communal riots flaring up at predictable intervals, sometimes continuing for decades devouring countless lives and properties. RC was silently teaching a unique lesson to a divided nation as to why every school should be made secular fostering lasting friendships, mutual understanding, practicing tolerance and empathy across the board.

RC had remained secular for over 150 years. Then it gradually started transforming into a Buddhist school about three decades ago. At first unnoticeably but gradually giving up all pretences of its secularity. First to go under the hammer was the Little Theatre – considered to be a rarity and a unique feature in a public school – which was converted into a shrine room (and just last year, they added a golden canopy costing over Rs. 2.5 million – please Google RC Buddhist Shrine Room). If a sacred relic could be sourced, the RC Shrine Room would be on par with the top sacred sites in the city!

The school which was once the most secular educational institute in the land, has completely transformed into an ultra-Buddhist institute. Buddha statues have sprung everywhere starting from the Principal’s office. Instead of every student feeling one and equal and belonging, there are religious symbols strategically placed quietly reminding the minorities that at RC, Buddhists are more equal than the rest! O’ tempora o mores!

I think it’s time the RC and the Royal College Union (RCU) leadership learnt about the first Buddhist Principal at Royal College. Late Bogoda Premaratne (BP), one of the finest products of Ananda Vidyalaya Colombo 10, an educationist par excellence and a renowned Buddhist scholar, became its Vice Principal from ‘59-’66 and the Principal from ‘66-’71. He didn’t bring a Buddha statue along with him to his office, nor did he create a shrine room or inaugurated an annual Pirith ceremony. He was also the first non-Old Royalist Ceylonese to be appointed Principal. BP maintained the cherished traditions of the College. Royal was still the College that Royalists, past-knew it to be, a great school to be proud of, at the end of his period. For those who seem to be in a mighty hurry to transform RC into an ultra-Buddhist institute, it may not be too late to learn about this shining and sterling example.

Another recent practice that has been introduced is providing breakfast and lunch to five Bhikku-Teachers (on every day the school is held) with each class taking turns. What’s interesting is that along with meals, every Bhikku also receives a financial donation minimum of Rs. 1k as msßlr. Every Bhikku-Teacher at RC must be receiving as much as his monthly salary through such msßlr. Following is a list sent by a class teacher to parents on what to be offered:

When questioned I was told by an authority (anonymously, neutrally!) that no student is forced to contribute and the Bhikku-Teachers aren’t insisting on a particular menu. Maybe it’s true. But how morally right for these Bhikkus, paid generously by the State through tax collected from the public, to accept an additional remuneration? At a time when many students are reported to be fainting at rural schools due to lack of food, how morally right is it for the Bhikkus at Royal College to indulge in such sumptuous meals and accept financial rewards too? If there is an iota of decency and concern for the suffering masses, shouldn’t these Bhikku-Teachers decline such offerings and direct them to those who are starving? 

Surely, they can’t all be ignorant of the fact that there are hundreds of rural children at its own hostel – the brightest of the nation – who are unable to pay their monthly fee of Rs. 6k and are facing the risk of being asked to leave as their outstanding dues reach into tens of thousands! So if these Bhikkhu-Teachers choose to channel their daily “msßlr”, don’t they realise it could cover an entire month’s fee of a hosteller whose parents are facing countless economic challenges?

I cannot help quoting late Venerable Walpola Rahula Thero on “Proper offering to Buddha” which originally appeared in “Sathyodaya” about a hundred years ago and was recently translated (fittingly) by Royalist Niranjan Selvadurai in Sydney titled “Truth Awakening.”

“Food should be given to the hungry. Clothes should be given to those who do not have sufficient clothes. Shelter should be provided to the homeless. The sick should be cared for with love and compassion. These are the offerings we can make to the Buddha.”

Latest to be added is an annual Pirith ceremony at the cost of nearly Rs. 1 million. 

Are these the examples of the island’s premier school setting for the rest of the country, where the majority of children are reported going to sleep without a proper meal each night?

Once again we need to listen to the wisdom of Venerable Walpola Rahula Thero: “Performing rites and rituals (Sīlabbata-parāmāsa) is established as a Buddhist practice in Sri Lanka today. This is an outcome of an un-Buddhist concept being adopted over many generations without necessary inquiry or censure. Blindly bowing down to any tradition that comes down the generations is a fundamental weakness of an untrained mind.”

I firmly believe that Royal College must be reinstated to its original esteem state as a secular institution, for the sake of the school, its student body who will soon become our future leaders and for the sake of a New Nation we all deserve. Students must be taught the right values and the right ethos of the Buddha’s teachings without extravaganzas and tamashas. Let us hope that the current leadership at RC – both Ministry appointed and the RCU leadership – would terminate this unsavoury and obnoxious practices carried out under Buddha’s name!