The students at the Rajagiriya school have a lot to feel good about, and they are determined to make the most of the new facilities they have. Pix by M. D. Nissanka and HSBC/HDPL

This has been a special year for S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike School, in Rajagiriya. The opening of a new block of classrooms in May has literally opened doors and windows on a new world of opportunities - opportunities to expand the student-staff population, to broaden the curriculum, and generally to introduce educational elements that were earlier only dreams for the school.

More than anything, the students and staff enjoy having a new building to spend their six or more school hours. In fact, the new structure has become an excuse to stay around even longer, as the students savour the new classroom setting, with the refreshing smell of new paint and new woodwork still in the air. The two-storey building offers plenty of space and possibilities. There is a palpable energy and enthusiasm in the atmosphere. The students are all smiles.

Principal D. G. Gamage is also smiling. He is seeing tangible, positive and encouraging results from his students.

"It is obvious the students are motivated by the new building," Mr. Gamage says. "There is a general feeling that they are now coming to a real school, equipped with real learning facilities. There is definitely a greater interest now in learning. There is a greater sense of belonging."

Things have been looking up for S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike School for some time now. Over the past two years the school has seen the setting up of a library, with plenty of books to go with it, and a computer laboratory, with 15 computers. These would be considered essential facilities in any average school, but for a school that serves largely children of low-income families these facilities are luxuries.

Many of the students had not even touched a computer prior to the setting up of the computer lab.
"It's opened up the world of the internet for them," Principal Gamage said. "This is very exciting for all of us." The school has 300 students, in Grades 1 to 11. This year, 14 students sat for the GCE Ordinary Level examination.

S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike School also has visions of vying with other schools in sports. A plot of school land that was once jungle - thick with trees and shrubs - has been levelled into an inviting grass-covered playing field. Principal Gamage predicts that sports will play an important part in the school's future.

"The students are proud of their new sports ground and eager to start playing cricket, basketball, volleyball and netball. I see sports as playing a big role in motivating the students, and even attracting more students to join the school. We plan to invite other schools to join in competitions with us."
All this is tremendously exciting for the students and their families.

"There is much better attendance than in the past," says Mr. Gamage, who knows that when there are empty chairs in the classroom, it is usually because the absent students are staying behind to help their parents make some extra, urgently needed rupees that day. The students come from families in Battaramulla, Welikade, Kotte and Nawala and, of course, Rajagiriya. Some of the families live in rows of houses on either side of the railway line that runs through Rajagiriya.

Some 80 years ago, in the 1930s, a small, nameless village school stood on the property of what is today S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike School. Rajagiriya was then a rural extension of Colombo. The school began to assume an identity as a regular school in the 1950s, but it was not till comparatively recently, over the last 10 years, as Rajagiriya began to develop as a commercial and residential area, that the school truly started to grow.

In fact, the growth of Rajagiriya has stimulated the growth of the government school, which is a direct beneficiary of its surroundings. One of the school's corporate neighbours is HSBC. The bank noticed the school could do with some assistance.

Over the past two years, the bank - or more precisely the bank's data processing centre, also known as HDPL (HSBC Electronic Data Processing Lanka Limited) - has taken an active interest in the school's development by organising fund-raisers to contribute to the school's infrastructure and holding English classes for the Sinhala and Tamil-speaking students.

The young employees of HDPL (the majority of the centre's staff are between 19 and 28 years) have been enthusiastically pitching in with money-generating ideas and programmes. This year there was a food fiesta, a fashion show and love-cake sales, among other fund-raisers. The bank backs the staff community action with its own supporting donations for the cause.

"The bank has done a lot for us, and we enjoy having their staff come over and interact with us," Principal Gamage said.

Bank staff got together with the students not long ago to make Vesak lanterns for the May religious festival. They also worked together on a lively drawing competition that tapped the students' artistic talents.

S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike School is all set to prove that it can be as good a school as any other. With the firm commitment of Principal Gamage and his staff, and the help of well-wishers, this is certain to become a reality over the next few years. (RSP)