Royal Central College, Polonnaruwa
Royal Central College - Polonnaruwa (Sinhala: රාජකීය මධ්ය මහා විද්යාලයය; also known as Royal College - Polonnaruwa or Polonnaruwa Rajakeeya Madya Maha Vidyalaya) is a national school in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.[1][2][3]
| Royal Central College රාජකීය මධ්ය මහා විද්යාලයය | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Front entrance to Royal Central College | |
| Address | |
New Town | |
| Coordinates | 7°55′10.70″N 81°00′11.50″E |
| Information | |
| School type | Public national 1AB |
| Motto | පමා නොවවු (Pama nowau) (Be punctual) |
| Founded | 19 April 1959 |
| Founder | C. P. De Silva |
| School district | Polonnaruwa Education Zone |
| Authority | Ministry of Education |
| Grades | 1-13 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age range | 5-18 |
| School roll | 5,000 |
| Colour(s) | Maroon |
| Website | Official website |
History
Royal Central College was founded by government minister C. P. de Silva on the lines of the Royal College, Colombo.[4][5] Silva laid the foundation stone of the school on 19 April 1959.[6] Six years later the school was opened for local children. Scholarships were offered to students in Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee districts. The main objective of the school was to give proper educational opportunities for the children of farmers. The school also owned 54 acres (220,000 m2) of land and paddy fields and the income from these was used to fund the school. At the beginning students were recruited to grade 9 and upwards. Students were selected for art, commerce, and science classes by scholarship examination in grade 8. D. B. Karunathilaka was the school's first principal and R. W. Galahitiyawa was the vice principal. The school had around 22 staff in 1965.
The school was closed in 1971 due to the JVP insurrection. It became a rehabilitation camp. No education was carried out at the school for three years. Instead, commerce classes were held in the irrigation office and science classes was held at Topawewa School.
Notable alumni
Below is a list of notable alumni of Royal Central College, Polonnaruwa
| Name | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Maithripala Sirisena | President of Sri Lanka (2015–present, member of Parliament - Polonnaruwa (1989–2015) | [7] |
References
- Gamage, Yasaratne (24 July 2012). "Schools netball finals in Polonnaruwa". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 27 July 2012.
- "Innovative teachers, student winners in Microsoft Competition honoured". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 26 February 2012.
- "Province - North Central" (PDF). Schools Having Bilingual Education Programme. Ministry of Education.
- Wijenayake, Walter (9 October 2008). "C. P. de Silva,advocate of a 'free society'". The Island (Sri Lanka).
- "C. P. de Silva – a victim of 'Back Stabbing'". The Island (Sri Lanka). 17 April 2005.
- "History". Royal Central College. Archived from the original on 14 February 2013.
- Gunewardene, Prasad (25 September 2007). "Mangala, Sripathi, JVP and UPFA". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
External links
