Ranpathvila School opens June, 2012
Ranpathvila Community Profile
Ranpathvila Maha Viduhala is located approximately 30 kilometers east of Anuradhapura, the provincial capital of the North Central Province and about 305 kilometers northeast of Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka.
North Central Province is situated in the northern part of Sri Lanka and consists of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts. Anuradhapura, the largest district in this province and in Sri Lanka, is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization. The city of Anuradhapura, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya.
This sparsely populated province is economically depressed. Agriculture is the main economic activity in this region. Most of the people in the village make their living by growing rice. Others cultivate chena, perform day labor, or serve in the army or police force. Many of the people in this village are very poor; the majority of the population is below the poverty line.
North Central Province is situated in the northern part of Sri Lanka and consists of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts. Anuradhapura, the largest district in this province and in Sri Lanka, is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization. The city of Anuradhapura, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya.
This sparsely populated province is economically depressed. Agriculture is the main economic activity in this region. Most of the people in the village make their living by growing rice. Others cultivate chena, perform day labor, or serve in the army or police force. Many of the people in this village are very poor; the majority of the population is below the poverty line.
Reasons for a new school
Old Classrooms
Old Classrooms
This existing school serves students from grades 1 through 13. Presently, several classes are conducted in temporary sheds built by the parents. These temporary sheds are built with half walls and are covered with corrugated galvanized iron sheets. On warm days the teachers find it difficult to conduct classes due to the heat inside, and during heavy rains classes must be postponed due to leaks in the roof. As a result of these conditions, some parents are not sending their children to school.
The school administration and parents have made requests to education authorities for assistance with building a new classroom building, but these requests were denied.
The Ranpathvila School Project
The completed structure is a spacious 2,500-square-foot building with plenty of light and good ventilation. The learning space has an area of 2,000 square feet and the corridor space is 500 square feet. This is a single-story building with five 400-square-foot classrooms that are accessible to children with disabilities. Room to Read provided desks and chairs both students and teachers. The new school building is painted to match the existing buildings at this school. It is an attractive addition to this community that draws a lot of positive attention.
