{"id":224236,"date":"2021-12-10T17:32:11","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T12:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=224236"},"modified":"2021-12-15T10:04:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T04:34:10","slug":"in-fond-memory-of-professor-chandra-gunawardena-a-role-model-for-the-teaching-profession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/in-fond-memory-of-professor-chandra-gunawardena-a-role-model-for-the-teaching-profession\/","title":{"rendered":"In Fond Memory Of Professor Chandra Gunawardena: A Role Model For The Teaching Profession"},"content":{"rendered":"

By C. Kariyawasam –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It is with deep sorrow that I write about my dear friend, the great educationist and scholar Emeritus Professor Chandra Gunawardena who left us quite unexpectedly three months ago on 30.11.21.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Professor Chandra Gunawardena<\/p><\/div>\n

I met Chandra when the pioneering Faculty of Education in Sri Lanka was established in the University of Colombo in 1975, by amalgamating the Departments of Education that existed in the Universities of Peradeniya, Vidyalankara and Vidyodaya, While Chandra came from Peradeniya, I came from Vidyodaya University with several other colleagues. Even though we came from different universities, all of us blended together like the \u2018EKA ITTE MAL\u2019.\u00a0 We shared are joys and sorrows and\u00a0discussed professional,\u00a0social\u00a0and\u00a0personal\u00a0issues mostly\u00a0together. Thereby a productive work culture and an ethic of care were developed. Not only we were friends but our families were also friends. Chandra joined the Open University of Sri Lanka and became the founding Dean of the second Faculty of Education in 2003. Yet, our friendship continued until her untimely demise.<\/p>\n

Chandra was a Pride to all of us in the profession with her remarkable intellectual ability and wide-cross disciplinary knowledge. She knew that all significant knowledge is naturally multi -disciplinary. She was a role model to both educationists and educands and dedicated herself to the professional socialization of the teaching profession, to develop values and attitudes which are much in want at present. Chandra had pluck and courage to take decisions in an objective manner<\/p>\n

Chandra was a researcher par excellence with her research ranging from Education for All, gender equity, the mismatch between education and employability, University Education, Open and Distance Education to many more fields in Education. Her forte was Social Sciences and contributed her share to UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ADB and the World Bank programmes.<\/p>\n

Chandra was a \u2018Kalyana Mithra\u2019 to many of her friends who sought her insightful advice. She was duty conscious and grateful to the core. When our dear Emeritus Professor W.A. de Silva died very close to her own demise, she attended the funeral even though she herself was not in good health.<\/p>\n

Chandra\u2019s family was a family of Professionals. Her husband Dr. G.B. Gunawardena who predeceased her was an educationist who contributed his services to both national and international level. Her two dear children Indunil and Lasitha are eminent personalities in their own disciplines.<\/p>\n

The eternal truth is that all life is impermanent. \u201cChan\u201d as I used to call her was a very dear friend to me. All of us who associated her feel her loss and the vacuum created.<\/p>\n

Chan, may you attain the Bliss of Nibbana!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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