The Ceylon School for the Blind, which comprises three schools, namely the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf Ratmalana, and Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind Kaithady Jaffna, celebrates one hundred years of selfless service to the deaf and blind this year with a service of thanksgiving this morning at 8 a.m. followed by the issue of a special commemoration stamp and an arts and crafts exhibition by the students.
The School for the Deaf and Blind was founded by Miss Mary Chapman, a missionary of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society (CEZMS). Visiting Ceylon in 1910, her attention was drawn to the pitiable state of the deaf and blind in Ceylon and she obtained permission from CEZMS to found a school in Ceylon..
She appealed for funds in Ceylon and also in England. The appeal had an immediate and encouraging response. Money poured in from all sections of society. Soon they had received enough funds to start the school. Special mention must be made of the immediate response by Mr A.J.R. de Soysa who, within hours of the appeal, offered a free site of six acres at Kandawala where the School for the Blind is presently located.
Miss Chapman rented a small building at Dehiwala and started the school in 1912 with just four children. By 1913, she had 18 deaf children and six blind children. Meanwhile new buildings were constructed in Ratmalana and in July 1914 the school shifted to its new premises. Miss Chapman returned to England in 1915 and her good work was continued by the English principals who succeeded her The school received help from people of all communities and in 1926 an additional four acres of land adjoining the existing land, where the Deaf School is now located, was given to the school by Mr Abdul Caffoor.
In 1933 the CEZMS, which hitherto managed the school, decided to hand over the management of the school to the Diocese of Colombo. A Board of Governors, later named the Board of Trustees, with the Bishop as Chairperson, was appointed to manage the school. In 1945, with the permission of the Education Department, the Ratmalana School was divided into two and became the School for the Deaf and School for the Blind.
The School for the Blind was located on the land gifted by Mr A.J.R. de Soysa and the School for the Deaf on the land donated by Mr. Abdul Caffoor. Two Sri Lankan Principals were appointed to the two schools and their successors have continued to carry forward the pioneering work started by the English principals, bringing both the schools to their present levels. With the introduction of Sinhala and Tamil as the medium of instruction in 1945 the need was felt to open a separate school in the Tamil medium. A block of land was allocated by the Government at Kaithady and funds for the construction of the initial buildings were donated by Viscount Nuffield. Hence it came to be known as the Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind Kaithady.
The school at Kaithady which started initially with just 18 students expanded quite rapidly despite the unsettled conditions and with the restoration of peace in 2009, is functioning well.
The three schools today have a total student population of around 600 children and follow the syllabus used in all standard schools. In addition, food, lodging, healthcare, recreational facilities and vocational training are provided free of charge. Though managed by the Diocese of Colombo, the students are mostly non-Christian and all facilities are provided to them for their religious activities.
The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind has come a long way over the past hundred years and the schools have reached their present level of development largely through the financial assistance they have received. The School has to continue to keep abreast of all the advances that are being made in regard to the education of the hearing and sight impaired and secure resources to adopt new technologies and practices.
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