By Ramesh Warallegama
The principal of Mahinda College, F.G. Pearce, who laid the foundation for Sanghamitta and Rahula.
F.G. Pearce, who served as the principal of Mahinda College in Galle, was a trailblazer who laid the foundation for Sanghamitta Girls’ College in Galle and Rahula College in Matara. A renowned English educator, he was also instrumental in establishing several notable schools in India.
Pearce introduced the Boy Scouts movement to Galle, inspired by Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. Under the guidance of Annie Besant, the then-president of the Theosophical Society, he became a pioneer in promoting the Boy Scouts movement in India. Additionally, he was a founder of the public school movement in India.
From March 1945 to May 1950, F.G. Pearce served as an Assistant Secretary in Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education, where he made significant contributions to broadening educational opportunities for children.
In commemoration of F.G. Pearce’s legacy, his son, Vikram Pearce, who currently serves as the chairman of the F.G. Pearce Trust, will arrive in Sri Lanka on November 19, 2024.
To honor the memory of F.G. Pearce, Vikram Pearce will visit Sanghamitta College in Galle, Rahula College in Matara, and Mahinda College in Galle over three days starting November 20, walking in the footsteps of his father’s remarkable journey. This brief note is dedicated to this occasion.
Frederick Gordon Pearce, widely known as F.G. Pearce, was an outstanding English educator born on March 24, 1892, in England. Intriguingly, his birth occurred just 24 days after the founding of Mahinda College in Galle.
A master of the English language from a young age, F.G. Pearce earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of London. During his university years, he was both a cricketer and a Boy Scout leader, showcasing his multifaceted talents and leadership abilities.
When it came to higher education, F.G. Pearce was a staunch theosophist. As a young man, he was well-versed in the principles and activities of the Theosophical Society and also deeply admired Buddhist philosophy.
This inclination inspired his desire to travel to the South Asia, and he soon received an ideal opportunity: an invitation to assume the role of Vice Principal at Mahinda College in Galle.
At the time, Mahinda College was under the leadership of another distinguished English educator, F.L. Woodward, who served as Principal from 1903 to 1919. Woodward remains a legendary figure in the history of Mahinda College.
It was Mr. Woodward who relocated Mahinda College from Peddler Street within the Galle Fort to a picturesque hill in Elliot Road (now Woodward Mawatha) known as Dhawatagahawatta. He laid a strong foundation for the school and established the enduring “Woodward tradition,” which continues to nourish Mahinda College to this day.
During his tenure as principal, F.L. Woodward introduced the position of Vice Principal at Mahinda College for the first time, specifically inviting F.G. Pearce to take on the role. This decision was part of Woodward’s vision for the revival and progress of Mahinda College.
Accordingly, F.G. Pearce traveled from London to Galle and assumed duties as Vice Principal of Mahinda College on October 25, 1913. From that point onward, Pearce, honoring the Woodward tradition, dedicated himself to the advancement of Mahinda College.
Though the Boy Scouts movement had been introduced to Sri Lanka under the leadership of Francis George Stevens, it was F.G. Pearce who, two years later, brought it to Galle. Despite having been at Mahinda College for only eight months, Pearce established the first Galle Mahinda Boy Scouts troop in June 1914.
In the book F. L. Woodward: Out of His Life and Thought by D.H. Pandita Gunewardene, the following is mentioned about Mr. Pearce:
The motto of the Scout movement worldwide is “Be Prepared”, which, among other things, signifies that Scouts must train themselves to always be ready and able to help others in times of sudden or unexpected need. Pearce introduced an additional motto for the Mahinda college Scout corps in Sinhala: “Loweda Pinisa Samagi Weemu”, which translates to “We have joined together for the service of the community.” Pearce stated that Scouting aimed at achieving three objectives:1. Discipline,2. Observation,3. Usefulness
Under Pearce’s leadership, by 1916, the Mahinda Scout troop produced its first King’s Scout, S. Tennyson De Silva, and in the same year, S. Ginege also earned the same title.
Having initiated the first Boy Scouts troop at Mahinda College, Pearce did not stop there. He actively led efforts to introduce the Scouts movement to other schools in the Southern Province, becoming a pioneer in spreading this important initiative.
F.G. Pearce played an outstanding role as the Secretary of the Southern Province Boy Scouts Association and later as the first Boy Scouts Commissioner for both the Galle District and the Southern Province.
Under Pearce’s leadership, the first Mahinda Boy Scouts troop in Galle was established. Regarding its progress, Mahinda College Principal F.L. Woodward sent a report published in Mahinda Magazine to Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scout Movement.
Impressed by these developments, Baden-Powell expressed his delight in a reply letter to Woodward on October 10, 1916, wishing to visit Sri Lanka for a scouting tour if invited.
The Theosophical Society of that era also recognized Pearce’s ability to expand the Boy Scouts movement. Following Henry Steele Olcott, Indian National Congress leader Annie Besant, who had become the first female president of the Theosophical Society, invited F.G. Pearce to assist in establishing the Boy Scouts movement in India.
Accepting this invitation, Pearce, in 1916, sent G.P. Ariyaratne (later known as Galappaththi Ariyaratne), the Patrol leader of the first Galle Mahinda Scouts troop, to Madanapalle in Madras. In June 1916, a scouting group inspired by Mahinda’s troop activities was established at Madanapalle College. However, official recognition from the central organization for this troop was delayed.
According to the Woodward tradition, the Mahinda Hostel was opened on October 1, 1917, for long-term service to Mahinda students, through the intervention of F.G. Pearce.
In December 1916, F.G. Pearce, who had gone on vacation to Madurai, had the opportunity to deliver a lecture at the Madurai Gokale Hall, where he met with young leaders, including G.P. Ariyaratne and others from Madanapalle. During this visit, he provided necessary guidance for organizing the scouts group and also participated in training the scout leaders.
While engaged in this significant work for Mahinda, F.G. Pearce resigned from the position of vice-principal of Mahinda College and traveled to Madurai, India, in May 1918. His aim was to establish the Indian scout movement and ensure its proper organization.
Later, many distinguished individuals, including Dr. S.A. Wikramasinghe, the founder of the Sri Lanka Communist Party, and senior journalist D.B. Dhanapala, who is considered a pioneer in modern journalism, demonstrated exceptional skills while representing the first Galle Mahinda Scout group under F.G. Pearce’s leadership at that time.
F.G. Pearce, who went to India, expressed his views on the founding of the Indian Scout Association at the Gokale Hall in October 1918, where he served as the Chief Commissioner of the Indian Scout Association. His speech was also included in the 1918 report of the Madurai National Education Promotion Society.
Although not in the form of a directory, many Mahinda Scouts, under Pearce’s guidance, contributed to the establishment of the Scout movement in India.
Jinadasa Vijayatunga, a media professional who worked for newspapers such as the London Times, New York Times, Manchester Guardian, The Spectator, and New Statesman, and who authored Grass for My Feet, was also a Mahinda Scout who went to Bombay (Mumbai) in 1918. He became the first London correspondent for the Lakehouse organization, appointed by D.R. Wijewardena. At that time, S.W. de Silva, a Mahinda scout, was in charge of the first group of scouts in the city of Adyar, India.
By this time, a close relationship had developed between F.G. Pearce and Muhandirum F.A. Wikramasinghe, and on June 27, 1915, Muhandirum F.A. Wikramasinghe laid the foundation for the first science laboratory at Mahinda College.
During this period, F.G. Pearce, the Vice Principal of Mahinda College, and Mrs. Pearce, proposed to Muhandirum F.A. Wikramasinghe to establish a school in the South suitable for Buddhist girls to learn English.
Accordingly, on March 19, 1919, the renowned philanthropist and social worker, Muhandirum F.A. Wikramasinghe (Manager of Mahinda College in 1920), started the Sanghamitta Vidyalaya in Galle with his charitable donations. At its inception, the primary section of Sanghamitta School operated alongside the primary section of Mahinda College.
After going to India in 1918, F.G. Pearce returned to Sri Lanka and took over as the Principal of Mahinda College on February 22, 1921. At that time, 446 students were enrolled at Mahinda College, and 21 teachers were serving. Additionally, 28 students were receiving education as boarders.
The Pearce era is also an immortal period in the history of Mahinda College. The Woodward Memorial Library, the Weaving Department, the Infant Department, the fellowship of teachers, the second hostel, and the College Parliament (student parliament) were established and maintained by him in 1921. By 1922, the number of students at the school had increased to 650.
F.L. Woodward (1903-1919) returned to Mahinda College on June 9, 1922, at the invitation of the then-principal F.G. Pearce. During his visit, Mr. Woodward laid the foundation stone for the Hendrick de Silva Hostel Shrine Room.
Due to his association with India and his significance in the Theosophical Society, Mahinda College, during F.G. Pearce’s tenure, became a place touched by renowned Theosophists and prominent Indians.
Among the distinguished figures who visited Mahinda College in 1922 were Annie Besant, the president of the Theosophical Society; Sarojini Naidu, a well-known Indian political activist and poetess; Dr. Rabindranath Tagore, a pioneer in modern Indian literature and arts; Charles Freer Andrews, an activist for Indian independence; and C. Jinarajadasa, who served as the Vice President of the Theosophical Society since 1921.
During his tenure as principal of Mahinda College, Galle (1921-23), F.G. Pearce initiated another significant endeavor: the establishment of Rahula College in Matara.
In collaboration with D.T.W. Rajapaksha Ralahamy and the esteemed R.A.D. Gunawardena Maha kulathunga, F.G. Pearce founded the Matara Buddhist Society in 1921 while serving as principal of Mahinda College.
On May 1, 1923, this society established Parakramabahu College on Matara Main Street, which later became Rahula College. According to the history of Rahula College, F.G. Pearce is credited with delivering the first lesson to its students.
After returning to India, F.G. Pearce was appointed the founding principal of the Scindia School in the Gwalior Fort region of central India. Serving as principal for nearly 15 years, from 1929 to 1943, he elevated the school to become a leading institution that harmonized with Indian culture.
Drawing on the inspiration he gained during his tenure as principal of Mahinda College, F.G. Pearce went on to establish Scindia School, which is now one of India’s leading schools. The section about Pearce in the school’s history unveils an intriguing hidden story.
It notes that Pearce was renowned as “Mahatteya” among the schools he served and his contemporaries.
Upon his return to Sri Lanka from India, F.G. Pearce began serving as an Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Education.
During this period, Rahula College in Matara celebrated its silver jubilee. Coinciding with this, in 1949, F.G. Pearce and his wife attended the opening of Rahula College’s Jubilee Hall, which was also the first science laboratory in the Matara district. This event underscored the strong bond between Pearce and Rahula College, where he made significant contributions as one of its founders and worked tirelessly for its future development.
Through his contributions to Mahinda, Sanghamitta, and Rahula Colleges, F.G. Pearce played a vital role in advancing education in southern Sri Lanka. Following his appointment as Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Education, he made another remarkable contribution by initiating the establishment of the Educational Research Council, leaving a lasting impact on Sri Lanka’s education sector.
In 1949, F.G. Pearce returned to India to begin his role as the principal of Rishi Valley School in South India. During his tenure, he implemented numerous innovations, including involving students in agriculture, creating individualized curricula for students, and abolishing the system of annual examinations.
After serving as the principal of Rishi Valley School for nearly a decade, he played a key role in establishing the Netarhat Residential School in Jharkhand, North India.
The history of the school states:
“F. G. Pearce’s scheme finally received the general approval of the Bihar Govt. in 1952, and the Residential School was opened on 15th November, 1954, at Netarhat with Sri Charles Napier as its First Principal.”
Additionally, in 1961, he founded the Blue Mountains School in Ooty, Tamil Nadu.
For his contributions to Indian education, F.G. Pearce was recognized and appreciated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.
F.G. Pearce also contributed numerous articles to Theosophical magazines. He was a poet and author as well. His published works include:
- The Struggle of Modern Man
- A Round of Rajput Tales (co-authored with G.P. Ariyaratna, Prabhat Nyogi, and R.P. Bhargava)
- The Coconut Lands of Southern India
- Kerala (India) (co-authored with Meena Johnson)
- Sonnets of a Schoolmaster and Other Verse
- The Dawn of Freedom: An Outline History of Civilization from A.D. 1200 to A.D. 1900.
F.G. Pearce, who dedicated his life to a great mission, concluded his selfless journey in 1962.
Following in his footsteps, his son, Vikram Pearce, worked towards the noble goal of providing education for all by establishing schools. Later, through the F.G. Pearce Foundation, Vikram became deeply involved in remarkable social service initiatives.
F.G. Pearce, a distinguished educator who played a significant role in shaping the future of three renowned educational institutions in Sri Lanka—known for producing globally recognized scholars and intellectuals—left a lasting legacy. In 2024, his son, Vikram Pearce, will honor his father’s memory by retracing his life and achievements.
This journey, which began recently at Scindia School in India, will continue with visits to Sanghamitta Girls College and Rahula Colleges, concluding at Mahinda College on the 22nd of this month. At Mahinda College, he will be on hand to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the First Galle Scout Troop and the 25th Anniversary of the Mahinda College Old Scouts’ Association.
This initiative is expected to serve as an inspiring milestone for the current and past students of Mahinda, Sanghamitta, and Rahula Colleges, as well as for the entire community.
