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Mr. S. Ratnasabapathy
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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 and 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.
When he retired from Hartley prematurely, as per Government policy of retiring all over 55
years of age, private schools in Jaffna invited him to join their staff. But he wanted to be
with his parents. He had the satisfaction of being with them in their last days. He spent his
retirement also by helping pupils in their studies. He died in May 1995, of heart attack, at
the age of 82. According to his wish, his body was handed over to the Medical Faculty of
the University of Jaffna. Yet another mark of his devotion of education.
