Gwen Opie (New Zealand) Principal 1917 -1944

“The recognition of the fact that every child is a distinct individual is the basis on which we must build the edifice of our educational methods. To provide scope for originality and independent thinking, to inculcate into our pupils a due sense of the importance of service above self to the community at large and to bring home to them the realization of the prestige of the place that they must fill in after life – these are some of the ideals we endeavor to achieve." “Education assuredly means more a knowledge of the art of living than the science of learning . Rather would we be judged by the type of citizens we produce than by the number of distinguished scholars the school turns out“.

Gwen Lilias Fanny Opie was born at Glentunnel, Canterbury in December 1886, the third of eight children.  Both her parents were teachers and Gwen was an able student, winning a number of scholarships.

 

She graduated from Canterbury University College with a MA with second class honours in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics followed by a MSc in Chemistry and Physics, and a Teachers A Certificate from Christchurch Training College. In 1911 she began teaching at Invercargill Girls High School.

Two years later, aged 26, she applied to the NZ Church Missionary Association Anglican). Her referees described her as academically able, a good teacher, conscientious, diligent, sincere, devout and earnest, but very shy. According to one, “She does not give the appearance of being of gentle birth – and is evidently not – but she seems quiet and gentle, and as shyness wore off certainly improved in manner”.

Following her acceptance Gwen did a course of theological reading under the supervision of the bishop of Nelson, no further training being deemed necessary. In February 1915 the CMS in London cabled her appointment to Ceylon and later that year Gwen sailed from Australia on a troop ship to take up a position at the CMS Ladies College in Colombo.
The Ladies College, founded in 1900 in response to a government invitation to establish „a superior school for girls, was run along the lines of an English public school. The first principal, Lilian Nixon, resigned suddenly in 1914 as she opposed the CMS decision that the college become a Grant-in-Aid School, that is one funded by the government. Gwen began as vice-principal of the school, which had about 200 pupils ranging from kindergarten to sixth form and soon gained a reputation for hard work and single-minded devotion. Her first task was to prepare for an important government inspection. This was successfully completed towards the end of 1916 and a few months later Gwen was appointed as principal, a role she held until her death in 1945. All did not go smoothly at first and after only two and a half years, Gwen was ordered to take six months rest, diagnosed as suffering from tropical neurasthenia. One cause of this was the considerable friction between herself and the woman in charge of the boarder's hostel, resolved by bringing the boarders under Gwen's authority. Other stress was probably caused by what was noted in Gwen's probationary report of 1917 as her “extreme sensitiveness”, “hyper-sensitive nature” and inability to accept criticism.
The college grew rapidly under Gwen's leadership. During the 1920s she bought property and undertook a major building programme resulting in new classrooms, boarders? quarters, a science laboratory, a library and a chapel. The number of students and staff grew, as did the number of courses and extra-curricular activities. After Ceylon University College was established in 1921 many former pupils of the Ladies College went on to tertiary study there as well as in universities abroad. In 1929 the Church of Ceylon became fully independent from the CMS and during the next decade Gwen was involved in numerous important church and CMS committees. In spite of all these commitments Gwen remained took an active interest in all her pupils. One wrote “She sheltered us with a vigilant eye and the love of a mother”.

(Photos at the college)

In the early 1930s Tamil and Sinhalese societies were formed to encourage the study and enjoyment of indigenous drama, music, dancing and literature. During a malaria epidemic the college undertook relief work in a village and later supported Christian evangelism there – rather unsuccessfully. The college also supported a Church of England Zenana Society missionary and the College Christian Union encouraged forms of practical service to the sick and the poor.
Outside the college the 1930s were marked by growing nationalism and anti-colonial sentiment, the resurgence of Buddhism and Hinduism, and political challenges to the church and the colonial state. Constitutional changes included the granting of universal suffrage in 1931.The Ladies College, recognised as one of the leading English schools in Ceylon, a pillar of the colonial establishment, was in a difficult situation as Gwen explained in a letter written in AugustFor all schools of our type the future seems to hold trouble. Politically we are no longer important, as we do not serve the villagers, who, with adult suffrage, become the most important people . . . The people whom we serve are a small minority. English education is threatened with decreased grants, and a big effort is being made, in every possible way, to prevent non-Christians from attending Christian schools. If this effort is successful we shall lose many children, for nearly 50% of our children are non-Christians.
The following year an Education Ordinance stipulated that non-Christian pupils were not to attend scripture classes and school prayers without the written permission of their parents – and schools were not allowed seek this permission. Changes in the grants system meant that the college had to raise considerable funds. Gwen had been pleased when girls converted to Christianity, even though this usually meant they were withdrawn from the college. However she did not see conversion of non-Christians as the main role of the college and with increasing difficulties in attracting such pupils she believed the emphasis should be on educating Christians who, in her words, “must supply the live material, on fire itself, to set the church on fire”.
In late 1940 Gwen had a severe attack of diphtheria and had to take six months furlough in India. After her return the college was increasingly affected by the war and the threat of Japanese invasion. The boarders were moved to Kandy and day pupils combined with those from three other schools in those buildings which had not been requisitioned by the army. The resultant strain was too much for Gwen who died of heart failure in January 1944. She was 58 years old.