Christopher William Wijekoon Kannangara was born in 1884 in southern Sri Lanka. He became a teacher and lawyer, and joined the temperance movement led by Anagarika Dharmapala. Kannangara entered politics through the Ceylon National Congress and was elected to the Legislative Council in 1923. He was then elected the first chairman of the Executive Committee of Education in the State Council in 1931, becoming the first Minister of Education of Sri Lanka. As education minister, Kannangara established reforms including introducing free education, using local languages as the medium of instruction, and establishing central schools and the University of Ceylon.

2. Born

3. Perents
 Emily Wijesinghe
 John Daniel Wijekoon
Kannangara

4. Christopher William Wijekoon Kannangara was born on 13
October 1884, atWee Badu Walawwa (his maternal ancestral
home) in the village ofWewala, off Hikkaduwa in the Southern
Province of Ceylon. It has been inaccurately quoted that
Kannangara was born in Randombe, (off Ambalangoda). Born to
John DanielWijekoon Kannangara, the Deputy Fiscal in
the Police Magistrate's Court Balapitiya, and Emily Wijesinghe,
daughter of MudliyerWijesinghe. He had four siblings and his
mother passed away when he was small.
Early Life

5. Education
His academic prowess enabled him to win a
Foundation Scholarship to Richmond
College, Galle, a prestigious secondary school
at the time

6. Family

7. Spouse(s

8. Childrens
 Dr. Chithraranjan Swarajweera
Wijekoon Kannangara
 Kusumawathi Wijekoon
Senevirathne -nee Kannangara

9. Early career
 he joined its teaching staff as a mathematics teacher
and thereafter went on to teach mathematics
at Prince ofWales College, Moratuwa
 he studied law and passed the Proctor's Intermediate
examination and he started his legal practice in civil
law

11. Kannangara joined Anagarika Dharmapala's historically
significant temperance movement, and worked actively
with its leaders, including Sir D.B. Jayatilleke, D.S.
Senanayake, F.R. Senanayake and ArthurV. Dias.In 1911,
elections were held for the first time to elect an Educated
Ceylonese to the Legislative Council of Ceylon.The two
primary contests were Ponnambalam
Ramanathan and Marcus Fernando. Strongly supporting
Ramanathan, Kannangara was elected Honorary
Secretary of the committee supporting Ramanathan
Entry to politics

12.  Ceylon National
Congress
Political partys

13. Legislative Council
His kinsman O. C.Tillekeratne, Legislative Council
member for the Southern Province, died on 13 April 1923
in a fatal train accident at the Wellawatte station.
Kannangara contested for the vacant seat in a by-election
that was held on 23 May 1923 and was elected to the
Legislative Council

14. State Council
In 1931, he was elected President of the Ceylon National
Congress.That year following the recommendations of
the Donoughmore Commission, the State Council of
Ceylon was established, succeeding the Legislative Council
as the island's legislature. Kannangara was elected to the
State Council, defeating S.H. Dahanayake. For the first
time, the State Council, which had its members elected
via universal suffrage, compromised Executive
Committees and Ministers.Kannangara was appointed as
the first chairman of the Executive Committee of
Education in the State Council and thus became the first
Minister of Education of Ceylon in 1931.

16.  established a series of central schools (Madhya
Vidhyala), modelled on Royal College, Colombo,

17.  upgraded ancient pirivenas, educational establishments for
Buddhist monks, and established the University of Ceylon, the
first University in Sri Lanka

18. HIS thoughts

19. Education should be free from the Kindergarten to
the University.
The mother tongue should be used as the medium of
instruction in the Primary Schools
His recommendations

20. English should be taught in all schools from
standard III.
A curriculum for the child which would develop
its "head, heart and hands" should be
introduced. In other words, the education of
the emotions is as necessary as the education
of intellect and practical ability for the well-
being of the child

21. C.W.W. Kannangara retired from active politics
in 1956.
In 1961, he was awarded a DLitt by
theVidyodaya University.
A statue of C.W.W. Kannangara has been
erected at the Parakramabahu Central College
in Polgahawela.
Last Period

22. Died
He died on 23 September 1969
at the Colombo General
Hospital.

23. Memories
Today

25. Createby
L.A.K.E Bandara
PAS/2019/ICT/M/24
Thank You