Thomian spirit, a team effort - Bishop

Ishara JAYAWARDANE

The cooperation of parents, teachers and students are needed for children to excel, Bishop of Colombo Rt Revd Dhiloraj Canagasabey said.

"While we appreciate good performances within the four walls of the classroom, I believe much is gained outside the classroom," he said as Chief Guest at the annual prize giving of S Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia held at the College on Thursday.

"This is a great event in the life of the College. We must evaluate the progress we have made to learn from the mistakes we committed. We must encourage our students. In education, we have been called to guide and mould the lives of the students to whom we have been entrusted," Rt Revd Canagasabey said.

Warden Professor Indra de Soysa said one does not have to be buried in books alone to do well academically.

"I have yet to meet an old Thomian who loves his school, because he was forced to study and pass exams," he said.

Prof de Soysa said: "It is often intimated in conversations with others that I must be either brave or utterly foolish to have taken on the job of Warden. What lies beneath the various statements is the belief that the 'college' is in some sort of shambles.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth. The so-called problems of the College seem to be exaggerated when one considers the power of our brand name. We admit less than a quarter of the applications we receive annually (more than 80 percent of those who apply have little or no chance of ever being a Thomian). Being the Warden of S Thomas' is not easy, but is surely one of the most rewarding positions to be in-still foolish I may be, but I consider myself extremely lucky to have been offered this great honour and responsibility."

De Soysa said generally, the school's smooth functioning can be attributed to the systems put in place by the 'giants' who were his predecessors and the work of dedicated staff whose efforts go unnoticed and under appreciated.

"Sub Warden Rev Marc Billimoria is a dedicated and loyal partner, on whom I depend greatly, not to mention the Head Masters who teach and help with the administration, and the tireless work of our tutorial, administrative and support staff," he said. De Soysa said the prize giving allows the school to focus squarely on the academic achievements of the boys.

"We are proud of these achievements, and we will do our part to ensure that everyone gets a fair chance to discover and nurture God-given talents and pursue both academic and extra-curricular activities for reaching one's full potential. Indeed, the roughly 20 competitive sports on offer exist for the simple reason it is a healthy way to develop physically, socially and intellectually," said de Soysa.