An appreciation
Vidanelage Pemasiri Rajakaruna De Alwis, (or "Raja Alwis" as he was popularly known), (1951-1995) was arguably the best mathematics tutor Sri Lanka ever produced. He taught the subjects of Pure Mathematics and Applied mathematics for hundreds of thousands of G.C.E. Advanced Level students. He passed away under tragic circumstances on 27th August 1995 while holidaying in New Zealand.
Early career
Raja Alwis started his teaching career at Royal College, Colombo, in 1975. His unique teaching techniques soon became popular among students and he soon started tutoring in "Nalandaramaya" in Nugegoda, a Colombo suburb, to cater to the massive demand created by his well-liked ways. A few months into his new venture, students craving to enrol into his classes multiplied hundred-fold, resulting in him resigning from the academic staff of Royal College to dedicate himself to full-time tutoring. This step benefited hundreds of thousands of students.
From the late 70's until he met his untimely death in 1995, Raja was teaching advanced level mathematics to tens of thousands of students every week, in many locations around the island. The student numbers in all his classes continued to grow, grow and grow even until the very last class of the syllabus. The most packed class of them all probably was the one conducted in the Rotary Hall in Nugegoda, in its main hall downstairs, where he used to lecture most days of the week. He also conducted classes in Wellawatte, another Colombo suburb, and also in Kurunegala, a provincial capital in the North-West of the country.
Innovative ways of teaching
His innovative ways of teaching and the trademark colourful language used were ever so popular and are still fondly remembered by students. Raja was best known for his gifted talent of explaining the most difficult of advanced mathematical theories with absolute ease. For some, he was a demigod to worship. There is little doubt that he was generously helped by his lively vocabulary. Anyone who had been lucky enough to be in one of his classes would vouch for this.
Total commitment and enthusiasm in teaching was a way of his life, and thus he made sure there was nothing in the syllabus that the students found difficult to grasp. Raja's methods always paid off. Their success was evident by many of his students achieving good grades and a large number of them gaining admission to university. Many considered Raja as their saviour when it came to Advanced Level mathematics.
Raja - the philanthropist
On many occasions, Raja Alwis went well beyond his duty as a teacher to help disadvantaged students. It was well known in the student circles during those times that Raja even paid boarding fees of needy students from rural areas who could not afford accommodation on their own. Countless number of students, who were unable to pay the tuition fees, simply didn't have to. Raja was an extremely generous gentleman who allowed them to attend his classes for free.
Just a few months prior to his death, he refused to take up a confirmed offer of employment in New Zealand, due to his concerns that his migration would disrupt studies of thousands who counted on him for the subject.
Due to his worsening throat-condition, Raja Alwis was under caution by doctors not to overwork himself when conducting classes. By his own admission to students, he was suffering badly as a result of over-exposure to chalk-dust, an inevitable element in old-school teaching. He twice had to undergo throat operations as a result. When the matters came to a head, he was sternly warned by doctors to rest his vocal cords for at least 20 hours a day, for his own sake. However, Raja being Raja, students' education always took priority over all his personal matters and hence he did not take kindly to those "unreasonable" demands. He was more concerned in sharing his knowledge and covering the syllabus in good time, and was conducting lectures over the top of his voice in a chalk-dust filled environment for most of the day, seven days a week. More than his own health, he was worried that any time taken off due to sickness would have jeopardised any plans to cover the syllabus on time, and as a result, stuck to his guns, simply dismissing doctors' warnings.
Death
Raja Alwis left for New Zealand on holiday soon after the Advanced Level examinations of 1995 ended, meeting prior to his fateful journey many students who had written for exams just concluded. Arriving in New Zealand, he was met by his loving wife and only son, who were already living there.
They were intent on having a good time and decided on going on a trip with a few friends. On the 27th of August 1995, they were on their way, the group travelling in a number of vehicles. Raja was driving one of the cars. While driving at speed on the motorway, his car collided head-on with another car travelling in the opposite direction. The exact cause of the accident was not known. Raja was killed instantly due to the devastating impact of the crash, and his wife, who was the sole passenger in the car, seriously injured. His son was travelling in another car in the group and did not come to any harm. The driver of the other vehicle involved was also killed on the spot.
The news of his sudden death was met in Sri Lanka with utter shock and disbelief and then caused an outpouring of public grief that lasted a couple of weeks. As in the case in any accidental death, there he was, the almighty saviour Raja Alwis, in all good health with many more generations of students pinning hopes on him for rescue, and the next minute he was gone. Many students found it extremely hard to come to terms with his death. Some still cannot.
Due to the reason he was a New Zealand citizen at the time of his death, and also due to bureaucratic red tape and logistical issues, his family was unable to have his body flown back to Sri Lanka until 10 days later. Throughout the time when his body was kept at his home in Boralesgamuwa, all the nearby roads and villages were overflowing with past and present students who had come in their numbers to show their last respects to a loving teacher they adored.
Raja's funeral was held on the 9th September 1995 at the Borella Cemetery, participated by tens of thousands of grieving students, fellow tutors, friends and general public.
By the time of his death, he was only 44, and was at his prime. Raja Alwis still had so much to offer, and the thunder of his silence is still felt by many. The huge vacuum that followed his sudden departure may never be filled.
© Yasiru Samarakoon - 2007
