Mr. S. Ratnasabapathy

Mr. Subramaniam Ratnasabapathy was born in Thambachetty, about a mile from Hartley College. He grew up in a happy home and was attached to his parents especially his mother. His father, Subramaniam, a Surveyor took great interest in the education of his children. Every night, he got the sons to revise the day's lessons. It is no wonder that the children excelled in studies, and, incidentally brought fame to Hartley. Ratnasabapathy, the elder son, went to the Colombo University College and got an Honors Degree in Mathematics, and followed up passing the M.Sc. Examination. The younger son, Shanmugathasan topped the B.Sc. Honours pass list, and got the Mathematics Scholarship to London. Later, he got a job in Canada doing research in Atomic Fission.

While waiting for the B.Sc. Examination results, Ratnasabapathy spent his time teaching in a night school, without pay. He was spartan in his life, but he had the spirit of service strong in him. "To myself a heat of flint, to fellow man a melting heart" seemed to be his motto. He was considerate and helpful to his subordinates. Later, he taught at Ananda College, Colombo, St. Anne's College, and Kurunegala. In recognition of his excellence as a teacher, he was appointed Vice-Principal at Nugawatte Central College in the Central province. He was later Principal of Science College, Matale, for a quite some time.

The Science College was a new kind of school: it had classes from Grade 9, and prepared pupils for the G.C.E. O/L and A/L Examinations. Promising pupils from neighboring schools (which were not adequately equipped for science teaching) were sent to Science College. Recognizing Ratnasabapathy's merits and devotion to teaching, the Member of Parliament, Matale, Bernard Aluvihare, gave him full support. Ratnasabapathy equipped the laboratories of the Science College with the best apparatus so that the visitors from abroad were taken to Science College, Matale, as a model.

Ratnasabapathy had an educational philosophy, all his own. A teacher should do his best for all the pupils. He had further duty by the gifted pupils to stretch them to the utmost. This he did by giving extra classes to the brighter ones. And many, when they went to the University, found that in the A/L classes, Ratnasabapathy had covered a great deal of the University Syllabus.

He was so wedded to his work that he did not get married. On one of his visits to Point Pedro, he realized that his parents were now old and growing feeble. He felt it his duty now to look after them and to get nearer home. When there was a vacancy at Government Central College, Nelliyady (four miles from Point Pedro), he got himself transferred there. It is said that parents of pupils at Government College, Matale, organized a meeting to protest against his transfer. But when they learnt that Ratnasabapathy himself had wanted the transfer, and that he wanted the transfer to be near his parents, they converted the meeting to bid him farewell and to express their appreciation of his selfless service.

In 1967, Ratnasabapathy came to Hartley College. Hartley was a selective school and the pupils were studious after his own heart. During his time as Principal, Hartley's pupils excelled in Mathematics, many of them were admitted to the Engineering faculties in Peradeniya and Katubedda. Some did so well they won scholarships tenable at the Cambridge universities in England.