Sri Punyarathana Dhamma School

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Sri Punyarathana Dhamma School at Choola Bodhi Viharaya is a free Sunday school for children under 18. It is in Haburugala village in southern Sri Lanka and is run by the Choola Bodhi Viharaya temple in Bentota. The school teaches Theravada Buddhist Dharma so students learn to be peaceful, respectful and helpful. Teachers volunteer their time as a charity service. The idea of karma means that good deeds and good thoughts bring good results, while bad deeds and bad thoughts bring bad results.

The school has achieved strong results. In 2008, a girl won the island-wide final exam in Buddhism knowledge. The Bentota region awards saw first place for six years in a row, from 2004 to 2009. There are 18 teachers, with seven holding Bachelor’s degrees in fields such as Computer Science, Arts, Languages and Buddhism. The principal, Uhan Owita Sumanasiri, has led the school since 1987 and is a former teacher and principal at Miriswatta Maha Vidyalaya. The assistant principal is Uhan Owita Nagitha, who earned his BA in 2008.

Challenges include limited government funding for the temple, which affects facilities. Because families’ incomes vary, the school does not charge fees. Classes are held outdoors, which students enjoy but rain can interrupt. There are more students than chairs and desks, and the building space is not enough. Some teachers are qualified in Computer Science and IT, but there are no computers or IT facilities. Many grade 11 students leave for tuition classes, and some grade 12 students skip the final Buddhism exams, which concerns teachers who see it as a social issue.