[email protected] cadet platoons are often associated with boy’s schools. Yet the NCC- (National Cadet Corps) has taken steps to introduce cadeting to girl’s schools. One such school is Devi Balika, Colombo. We met up with these exuberant girls and their platoon officer Major Sagarika Ramasinghe. The cadets have a majestic record of winning the coveted De Soyza Challenge shield in 2001,
2003 and 2006. The shield is given to the best female cadet platoon, and eagerly contested by many schools. Three of the senior cadets present that day were Cadet Sergeant Jethendi, a Bio Science student who has been in the platoon for 5 years, Corporal Sandeepa Deshani also a Bio Science student and Corporal Dilki Lenora an Advacned Level Maths student who aspires to be an engineer. These girls tell us that cadeting has transformed them to be leaders and face challenges. They have enjoyed the adventure laden training camps at Rantambe.
We are now joined by the principal Mrs. Pradeepa Samarasinghe, who explains “I am proud of my cadets. When I was in school I was a cadet too. I am from Kandy.Those days I had to wake up at 4 am and take the bus to be at my school grounds by 5 am. I was never late. This precision and discipline has helped me in my own career. cadeting is a good avenue for young girls to learn the dynamics of team work. They must be ready to face the challenges of the world when they leave school”. We are now joined by a group of past students who have recently left school but are very much attached to the cadet platoon. Buddhika Wickremearachchi is a science teacher and was platoon sergeant in 2012. She explains “cadeting was the turning point in my life. I am a graduate of the Ruhunu 
University. Even at campus the discipline of cadet life enabled me to rise above various new environments’. Presently studying at the University of Colombo is Nuwini Mapalagama who was a cadet regimental sergeant major in 2013. She too, expressed her success to the “team spirit” inculcated during her school days. Aspiring to become a doctor and serve the army is the ambition of Gnanika Dilshani who left the platoon in 2016. All these students have excelled in academics while being actively involved in cadeting.
Of the present day cadets there are seven girls who have excelled in the Ordinary Level exams obtaining 9As. Over the 18 year history of the cadet platoon 17 girls who have held the mantle of sergeant have entered university, showing that a keen student can multi task and excel in a number of activities apart from academics.
The platoon officer Major Sagarika adds “today we see young people mildly distracted by various things. But I am happy to see our cadets doing well both in sports and academics. They are taught to work together and overcome challenges. The girls eagerly look forward to their training camps where they engage in drill, physical training, map reading and a compass march”. After posing for their group photo we spotted the youngest cadet 14-year-old Navodhi whoexplains in her amiable voice“I am proud to be a school cadet. I want to become a doctor”. This is the level of ambition and perseverance that cadeting can instill in a young person. The girls at Devi Balika are a glowing example of how productive one can be in school and take away pleasant memories with an indomitable will to succeed in life.