Trincomalee, interfaith elementary school in the sign of unity and love (photos)
Children study in Tamil and Sinhalese. Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian pupils hold a common prayer. The school model, based on plans of the president of the time, was adopted in 1996 to promote inter-ethnic harmony.
Trincomalee (AsiaNews) – An elementary school in the Trincomalee district, eight kilometers south of Trincomalee Town, is a model of "unity" and "love" where children study in two languages and sing the national anthem and where religions coexist in harmony.
In 1996, the school adopted the Sangama model, based on the ideas of a Sri Lankan president to promote unity among the country’s ethnic groups.
In all, there are 28 pupils, from grade 1 to five, 17 Tamil Hindus and Muslims, and 11 Sinhalese Christians and Buddhists with nine teachers and one headmaster. They study in Sinhalese and Tamil.
Each morning, the children take part in a multi-faith prayer and sing the national anthem in Tamil and Sinhalese. Afterwards, they exercise and read in both languages the mission and purpose of the school.
Finally, daily lessons begin following the headmaster’s address. The small number of pupils allows teachers to follow them with care. For the latter, they "are like parents".
Mohamad Aliyar Jainulabdeen, the headmaster, is Muslim. He is pleased to hear children express themselves in both languages as they play. "They are friends, brothers, sisters, with no one left on their own. There is a lot of friendliness between parents and teachers."
In this spirit, the festivities of the various ethnic groups are celebrated, from Thaipongale to Christmas.
For Jainulabdeen, his role as headmaster is a mission that deserves giving up some of his salary, spent on the needs of the school and the pupils. When he first started, he helped clean up the jungle to provide children with a place to play.
The school was founded on 20 October 1991, and is now in its 26th year. When it started, there were 12 pupils.
The headmaster remembers that the most difficult time was during the civil war, because Sinhalese families had left the village and even the teachers were fearful to come to school.
The Sangama model was developed during the presidency of the late Ranasinghe Premadasa, to raise awareness of the importance of unity among ethnic groups. The Tamil word Sangama means "constructiveness".
For parents, the school is a positive experience. The mother of a fifth-grade student, Suraji Sumudu Kumari, 38, said that her younger children will follow the example of the older ones, including the baby she had in her arms. "I'm glad I will not miss the good relationship with the school and the teachers, who are so kind."
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16/03/2017 16:21
24/01/2007
