Teacher Training College of Fine Arts Moves to convert historic institute to a school

A stone caving of ‘Raja’ the tusker 

 The Manor of Mampitiye Dissave in the same form as it was 80 years ago

• The building was gifted by Mampitiye Dissave for a specific purpose and that was to ‘Train Teachers’; hence no one should deprive them of this facility

Mampitiye Dissave, who gifted two tuskers to the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Malgawa), has a lineage from the time of King Narendrasinghe. He is a direct descendent of Mampitiye Duggana Unnanse- a Yakkadoli of King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe. 

Mampitiye Dissave gifted the two tuskers to the Maligawa on July 31, 1938. They were named Raja and Kanda.  
An alms giving was organised at Maha Maluwa for 100 members of the Maha Sangha headed by my Uncle T.B.Tennakoon-a member of the Kandy Kachcheri along with T.B.S.Godamunne; a politcial figure back then.
Raja was bought by Mampitiye Dissave for Rs. 3300 on December 11, 1925 when he was 12 years old; the elephant having a height of 4feet five inches. This speicmen was captured at Batticoloa using a permit.
Raja and Kanda were kept by him for 10 years before they were gifted to the Temple of the Tooth. They were accepted by Diyawadana Nilame Dissave C.B.Nugawela. It is said that the cries of the two tuskers could be heard far and wide when water was poured on their trunks. This happened at the Maha Whalkada Moonstone which indientally was scattered and is now a Museum. It is situated near the Audience Hall in Kandy
Mampitiye, while being seriously ill, was brought to the place when the tuskers were being gifted.
During the same period Mamptiye Dissave donated his walauwa (Ancestral home) and 17 acers of land to the Education Department for the purpose of building a Training College. The name Walauwa derived from the Tamil name “Valuva”.

Our story begins at this point when there was a move by a political force to take over the building for purposes unknown. But the building has been gazetted as a monument in 2007 by the Archaeological department.
Sri Lanka Art Educationists Association has written to the Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardene and State Minister Susil Premajayantha saying that a video was released to the public containing a proposal that the Teacher Training College of Fine Arts be converted to a school due to lack of teachers in the school.   This is the only Teachers Training College of Fine Arts in the country at present.

The letter underscores that there may be thousands of schools in the country, but there is only one Training Institute for the Training of Teachers in fine arts in the country. The building was gifted by Mampitiye Dissave for a specific purpose and that was to ‘Train Teachers’; hence no one should deprive them of this facility.

How many colleges and schools were completely closed due the Covid -19 pandemic. Were these schools and colleges closed forever so as to open up business establishments or tuition classes?

History reveals that the ‘Training of Teachers’ began on May 1, 1941 with 40 trainees. Then it became Kandy Teachers Training College. Then in 1945 the school became a mixed Training College.  Then it was converted to a Male Teachers Aesthetic College in 1947. With the establishing of the government of the Late Prime Minister S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike in 1956 it became “Giragama Government Teachers Training College”. Then in 1972 it was official declared as the “Aesthetic Education Teahers Training College in 1972 that was nearly half a century ago. The famous  Dr.Makkulowa was the Principal and afterwards many more have entered these portals.

A prominent Teacher in Fine Arts Charles Dayananda in his letter, co-signed by another fine arts teacher Nandalal Uduporuwa, states that due to Covid there had been a decline in the number of teachers bein trained.
In this letter, signed by Dayananda as the President along with Nandalal Uduporuwa, seven points have been put forward for the upliftment of this Aesthetic Teachers Training College at Giragama. All facilities are available at this 17 acre plot of land.

The letter dated November 28, 2021 states that it is a crime to close down an Institution which has been specifically donated by a Kandyan personage for a specific purpose 80 years ago. The istitute was making solid progress in the field of education.

First there was a proposal to link this college to Deheerananda Madiyama Maha Vidyalaya. But parents and teachers refused to allow this because they maintained that a college of this nature should exist not only for Kandy, but for the whole country. There had been teachers who had arrived from distant places like Galle, Anuradhapura, etc for Aesthetic Teacher Training.

If this College did not have enough teacher trainees it is the fault of the Department of Education; for neglecting this institute. This subject is been taught in schools and examinations are held anually, but the department seems to have overlooked the operations of this College; as an institution which produces talent and maintains a hostel facility.

Mampitiye Dissave is no fool as his Grandfather was Mampitiye Ralahami Korale - the one and only ‘Korale’ in the Kandyan Kingdom betweeen 1747 and1781.

Mampitiye Dissave has specifically mentioned in the Deed of Gift that this land and premises should be used for a “Teacher Training College”. If this is not used for that specific purpose, his ancestors could claim under the common law as a property that is not being used for that specific purpose, a President’s Counsel has said.
Perhaps saner Counsel will remain because the letter to the Ministers specifically mentions that there is a Political personage behind this move. 

But the facility remains a gazetted monument under the Monument Ordinance.