Bicentennial celebrations of Uduvil Girls’ College
The inaugural function of the bicentennial celebrations of Uduvil Girls’ College was held this week in their College Hall. The programme was titled ‘Anthizo’ which in Greek means blossom. It was 200 years ago that a young American missionary, Harriet Winslow, started this school which was then called the Female Central School. The first two female students were little ones who used to peer curiously through the windows of the Mission house. Harriet started teaching them and thus a great institution was born.
It is the oldest boarding school for girls in Asia. Despite the resistance of the community to educating girls, the numbers gradually increased. Harriet, who suffered many personal losses, died at the age of 33. In its 200-year history, the school has been served by just 10 principals including the incumbent Rosanna Kulendran. This enabled most of them to leave their indelible mark on the institution while building on its traditional strengths. Someone many years ago commented sarcastically that the purpose of the school was to be a finishing school to prepare girls for marriage! No doubt there was more than an element of jealousy in the statement. Uduvil has always been far more than that.
From being the first to break social barriers to empowering young women through academic and extra-curricular activities it has contributed hugely to the rich educational history of this island. This was highlighted by the chief guest Shiranee Mills, a past student and principal. She stressed that long before it became recognized or fashionable, the school had always emphasised compassion, empathy, and building capability. The high standards that the school maintains were very evident during the programme.
The presenters were confident and articulate, and the primary school kids were charming and enthusiastic during their Western dance, as were the older students who performed a more traditional but lively dance with obvious joy. The Carnatic music and the Western music choirs performed the Tamil and English bicentennial songs that had been composed by students with great verve. The two bicentennial logos were designed by students as well. All this is a great testimony to the talent and capabilities of the students and reflects well on the ethos cultivated by the principal and staff.
At a time when many despair about the state of affairs in the world around us, the lack of honesty and sincerity at so many levels, the motto of the school ‘The Truth shall set you free’ resonates with even greater importance. On a personal note, I must say that it was a joy to be present for this function. Though my memories of my time here are dim, I consider myself an alumnus of the school having studied for around two years there in the primary section while my mother was Medical Superintendent at McLeod Hospital in Inuvil. I am sure that the students, principal, and staff will ensure that the celebrations this year will be a wonderful tribute to the rich history of this unique institution. - Dr Thayalan Ambalavanar
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