Mr. P. S. Vedamuttu - by "A Friend"

 

Mr. P. S. Vedamuttu - Teacher at SAC from 1923 to  1961 

Reproduced below is an article that appeared in The Aloysian of  1960-1962 , the School Magazine of St. Aloysius College,  Galle. It is written by a " friend" of  Mr. Vedamuttu. It is difficult to trace the name of this friend over 60 years later.

Courtesy : LK Hettiarachchi
Saint Aloysius' College Galle photos 1950/1960 Facebook Page
Mr P S Vedamuttu
Courtesy- The Aloysian Magazine 1960-1962
An article written by a friend

"When I was asked to write for The Aloysian on the veteran teacher, Mr P. S.Vedamuttu, I was puzzled whether it was my impressions that I should pass on to Old Boys or whether it was an 'appreciation' that was wanted of me. Paul would not appreciate 'appreciations' : they are so ready to hand and can be got almost for nothing.
I must confess, however, that nearly forty years' acquaintance has not been sufficient to build up in my mind a complete physiognomy of the personality of Paul, who is now at the end of his teaching career at S.A.C., where he started service on 15 July 1923 when he was only twenty years old.
The difficulty in tracing a character and being objective in doing so is probably a common one, for bias and one's own way of thinking can hardly be avoided, even by the wisest.
In Paul's case this is more so for he never revealed himself fully, and had the knack of keeping you guessing quite a lot about himself and his thoughts.
Intelligent far above the average, able to assimilate thoughts and situations, endowed with clear vision and able to foresee what escapes a normally intelligent mind, dexterous in argument, hard working, conscious of his responsibilities, thorough in all that was entrusted to him, an all-rounder: these are the main features on which to build his personality.
It was natural to think of his future as a bright one, and I believe that no one, least of all Paul himself, dreamt that he would spend his life in the obscurity of a class-room.
I suppose that what - judging from worldly standards - makes or mars a man of this kind is the ability to knit together all these qualities in a way that meets with the approval of the world. Failing in this is disastrous.
Had Paul to pay the price for possessing these qualities? Probably he had to. Ready wit and the ability to forestall and to see through mellifluous explanations of things are bound to hurt and you are not likely to make headway in the society of those who can help you to higher rungs on the ladder of success. If opportunities did present themselves which would have brought Paul into the limelight, they were, I fear, foredoomed to failure. Either you had to take Paul just as he was or you had to push him back into the class-room.
What intrigues me is why we speak of the ‘obscurity' of the class-room. In terms of remuneration, the teaching profession — the so called 'noble' profession, the profession on which the future of the nation depends, and all the rest that people choose to say when they talk to teachers — is obscure indeed. Quill drivers, whether of the civil list variety or the white collar grades, are more esteemed and valued than the teachers who have laboured to educate them both. A report on the quantity of perished potatoes or stolen rice, full of the usual melodious verbiage, counts more than the toil to win and mould the heart and mind of youth.
It is not in my mind to belittle civil servants, clerks and the like. They are all necessary in the organic growth of society. But what is difficult to grasp is the grading of the various members that go to make society.
Supposing we attempt to break away from this abominable standard of valuation, can we call Paul's a life of obscurity ? Has he not done more for Ceylon than is normally done by stacking up voluminous reports on a number of minor problems, which leave humanity where it was before ?
The hundreds of pupils who have felt the impact of Mr Vedamuttu's personality are ample testimony that his is a monumentum aere perennius.

Not all his pupils liked him; at least, not all the time. Many resented the sting of his remarks, which of course obtained results in spite of all.

Yet he has formed men who have learnt what dedication to work means, for Paul was hardly ever absent from class, was never late, never failed to correct the work he demanded of his pupils, nor was he ever unprepared for his class. Thus did he teach generations by example the value of dedication, even under trying cir-cumstances.
Looked at in this way, Paul as a teacher seems to me to have done more for Ceylon than he could have done in any other capacity.
The future of education in Ceylon is a question mark, whatever optimistic orators may choose to say. Perhaps, if more men of Paul's calibre, by circumstances if not by sheer vocation, are forced into the 'obscurity' of the class-room, we may still hope for the future of the children of Ceylon.
I raise my hat to Paul Vedamuttu as a teacher.
I recognize in him the wonderful qualities which Providence has lavished on him and I venture to say that following the lead that Providence has given him he can still continue to be very useful to this country: he can still lead youth towards the lofty destiny intended by Providence.
Often have I realized how far superior Paul is to me. S.A.C., I know, counts him among the best teachers in its long tradition. Old Boys, boys and teachers look upon his life of dedication as a source of inspiration.
I cannot even think of Paul enjoying his years of retirement sitting back and spending his time in reveries. Somewhere I have read something that much is demanded of those to whom much has been given. Paul has a great deal more to give !"

a friend

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The article however indicates that the friendship was of 40 years duration. Mr Vedamuttu joined SAC in 1923 at the age of 20 years. Rev. Fr. Chiriatti s.j arrived at SAC in 1924. Therefore the "friend" could be Fr. Chiriatti. Incidentally, Fr. Chiriatti also left SAC in 1961 & moved into the Jesuit Residence at Bambalapitiya.

Thousands of students who have been taught by Mr. Vedamuttu over a period of 38 years would wholeheartedly agree with the assessment made by his "friend". Every one of us who followed his classes benefitted from his teaching & are grateful to him for building upon our basic knowledge of English which we acquired under Fr. Basil Corera.s.j, Mr. C. A. S. Manatunge, & Fr. P. N. Peiris s.j. & preparing us to face the Senior School Certificate Examination in English Language , successfully.

He was also the first Secretary & Treasurer of the SAC Teachers Guild launched in 1929 & acted in many of Moliere's plays staged under the direction of Fr. Lermusieaux in the newly constructed hall in the 1920s.

After his retirement at the age of 58 years, he lived at Queens Rd. Colombo 3 & took an active part in the work of the Ceylon Rationalist Association under Abraham Kovoor & was one of the Editors of the Ceylon Rationalist Ambassador. He also contributed articles to the Ceylon Rationalist Ambassador, an annual publication of the Ceylon Rationalist Association

In 1976 he authored two booklets, one, a practical guide  on Classroom Teaching, & the other on "Honest to Mine Own Self" setting out some rationalist ideas. The booklet on Classroom Teaching is also reproduced elsewhere in this blog.