St. Thomas' College, Matara

Last updated

St. Thomas' College
St.thomasmatara.jpg
Location
St. Thomas' College, Matara
Matara

Sri Lanka
Coordinates 5°56′54″N80°32′38″E / 5.94833°N 80.54389°E / 5.94833; 80.54389
Information
TypeGovernment public school
MottoPerseverando Vinces (Perseverance conquers all)
Religious affiliation(s)Christian
Established10 March 1844;180 years ago (1844-03-10)
FounderN. J. Ondatjee
PrincipalNayanapriya Perera
Staff144
GradesPrimary to GCE A/L
Genderboys
Age6to 19
Enrollment4,200+
Colour(s)Chocolate brown and light blue   
Song"Saint Thomas' forever" [1]
RivalSt. Servatius College, Matara, Rahula College, Matara Richmond College, Galle
Affiliation Anglican Church of Ceylon
Website stcmatara.lk

St. Thomas' College is a government primary and secondary school for boys in Matara, Sri Lanka. The college was initially founded in 1844 as a private Anglican school by Rev. Fr. N. J. Ondatjee, a missionary of the Christian Missionary Society of England, [2] in Wellamadama, Dondra. It presently has over 3,600 enrolled students studying primary to secondary education.

Contents

History

St. Thomas' College was founded by the Christian Missionary Society of England in 1844. The main concern of the various missionary bodies in Sri Lanka during the early period of British rule in Ceylon was providing English education. As a result of this, St. Thomas' School later became a secondary school in 1914, as St. Thomas' college commenced in a bungalow in the village of Wellamadama, the current location of the University of Ruhuna. [3]

The school was founded by one of the first Anglican missionaries, Rev. Fr. N. J. Ondatjee, in 1844 with several students and three teachers. Odantjee was later succeeded by others, including Kumaratunga Munidasa, who promoted Sinhala language and literature. In 1960 St. Thomas' College was vested in the Government after a long period of missionary control. K. B. Jayasuriya became the first principal under Government administration. J. E. M. Fernando, K. B. Jayasuriya and E. A. de L. W. Samarasinghe reactivated the college's old boys association, which was defunct after its inauguration by S. J. Gunasekeram in 1934. B. D. Jayasekera designed the college flag and the crest in the early 20th century. [2]

The Buddhist shrine room constructed at the college premises by the Old Boys Association in 1999 was inaugurated by Madihe Pannaseeha Thero, a Buddhist priest and also a past student of the college. [4]

The school is one of the oldest cricket-playing schools in the island and plays St. Thomas'–St. Servatius Cricket Encounter with St. Servatius' College. This is the second oldest cricket encounter in the island, also known as the Southern Battle of the Blues or Battle of the Ruhunu. [5]

Past principals

Government Principals


College anthem

The school song was composed by Leonard Archibald Arndt (1889–1955), the school's principal between 1931 and 1933.[ citation needed ]

College houses

There are four student houses in the college, named after four past principals. They are:

Sports

Cricket

The St. Thomas-St. Servatius Cricket Encounter, also known as Battle of the Blues or Battle of the Ruhunu, is the annual school cricket match played between St. Thomas' College, Matara and St. Servatius' College since 1900. This is the second oldest cricket encounter on the island. [ citation needed ] The match has been played as a 3-day game since 2000, which was the centenary match.[ citation needed ]

Football

The annual Thomas-Rahula Football Encounter' or "Battle of Golden Ensigns" football Match is played between St. Thomas' College, Matara and Rahula College. It is one of the first annual inter-school football matches in Sri Lanka. [ citation needed ]

Notable alumni

List of alumni of St. Thomas' College, Matara;

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
NameNotabilityReference
Politics
Senerat Gunewardene Ceylon's first Permanent Representative to United Nations, member Parliament Gampola (1947–1948) and Ceylon's High Commissioner to United Kingdom (1961–1963) [6]
Justin Wijayawardhene Member Parliament Matara (1960) Founding member of the United National Party
Badi-ud-din Mahmud Member Parliament Matara (1963–1977) and Minister of Education (1970–1977)
Chandrasiri Gajadeera Member Parliament Matara (1994–2001, 2004–2019)
Weerasumana Weerasinghe Member Parliament Matara (2019–present)
Public Services
Madihe Pannaseeha Thero Buddhist monk (head Amarapura sect 1969–2003)
Cyril de Zoysa President of the Senate of Ceylon (1960–1965), industrialist, philanthropist
Jabez Gnanapragasam Anglican Bishop of Colombo (1987–1992)
P. B. Illangasinghe Sri Lankan notary public and musicologist
Arts
Kumaratunga Munidasa linguist, poet, author, journalist
W Jayasiri Sri Lankan Actor, Script Writer, Lyricist
Desmond de Silva Singer [7]
Tissa Nagodavithana Film preservationist
Sports
Indika de Saram International cricket player (1999–2000)
Prabath Nissanka International cricket player (2001–2003)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanath Jayasuriya</span> Sri Lankan cricketer

Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, captain, cricket administrator and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest all rounders ever to play in ODI cricket. A left arm orthodox spinner, left handed batter and a dynamic fielder, Jayasuriya together with his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana is credited for having revolutionized one-day international cricket with his explosive batting in the mid-1990s, which initiated the hard-hitting modern-day batting strategy of all nations. He was a key member of the Sri Lankan team that won 1996 Cricket World Cup. Under his captaincy Sri Lanka became joint champions along with India in the 2002 Champions Trophy. Currently, he is the head coach of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond College, Galle</span> Government public school

Richmond College is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka which was established as Galle High School in 1876. The founder of school was the Wesleyan Missionary George Bough. The first principal of the school was Rev Samuel Langdon. In 1882, it was renamed Richmond College. Richmond College is the first Wesleyan Methodist school to be established in Asia. The former school of Richmond College known as the 'Galle School' dates back to July 1814.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matara, Sri Lanka</span> City in Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Matara is a major city in Sri Lanka, on the southern coast of Southern Province. It is the second largest city in Southern Province. It is 160 km (99 mi) from Colombo. It is a major commercial hub, and it is the administrative capital and largest city of Matara District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's College, Jaffna</span> Private school in Jaffna, Jaffna District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka

St. John's College is a private school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools.

Rahula College is a boys' school in Sri Lanka, located in Matara district. Though it was originally a private Buddhist school, now it is run by the Government of Sri Lanka as a National School. Rahula College has two sections - the Primary section, which serves students from Grade 1 to Grade 5, and the Secondary section, which serves students from Grade 6 to Grade 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaffna Central College</span> Public national school in Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka

Jaffna Central College is a national school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1816 by British Methodist missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia</span> Private school in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka

S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, is a fee-levying Anglican selective entry boys' private school in Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by James Chapman, the first Anglican Bishop of Colombo, in 1851, it was founded as a college and cathedral for the new Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon, modelled on British Public school tradition. An old boy of Eton College, Bishop Chapman founded the college on the Etonian model, the school's motto of Esto perpetua being derived from that of Eton College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sujatha Vidyalaya</span> School in Matara, Sri Lanka

Sujatha Vidyalaya is a girls' school in Matara, Sri Lanka. The Matara Buddhist Society founded the school as a private Buddhist institution in 1929. It was the first Buddhist girls' school in Matara. Today, the Government of Sri Lanka operates Sujatha Vidyalaya as a national school; it was one of the initial group of schools to receive this designation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharmapala Vidyalaya</span> Public school in Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka

Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya, established in 1940 and it is the largest co-educational institution and the most populated suburban school in Sri Lanka. The school is situated on a land donated by Anagarika Dharmapala, whom the school is named after. The school was upgraded to National school status in 1991.

St. Servatius' College is a boys' school located in Matara, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1897 by recently arrived Belgian Jesuit missionaries, led by Joseph Van Reeth, first bishop of Galle and Father Augustus Standaert. St. Servatius' College is a national school, which provides primary and secondary education. This is the only school in Sri Lanka where three Governors of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka were educated. This is the only school in Sri Lanka that has produced national team captains in the sports of cricket, football and volleyball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal–Thomian rivalry</span>

The Royal–Thomian Rivalry refers to the competition, both in academics and sports, between Royal College Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia. Both schools have rich histories of academic excellence, as well as sport competition and school pride. Both were founded in the 19th century, and between them they have produced a large number of Sri Lanka's most prominent scientists, writers and politicians, as well as noted figures in many other fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter</span> Annual Big Match commonly known as "The Battle of the Maroons"

Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter is the annual cricket match between two of the largest government-run national boys' schools in Kandy, Sri Lanka: Dharmaraja College, Kandy and Kingswood College, Kandy. It is the oldest cricket match series in the central province and second oldest in Sri Lanka, having been played for 131 years. It is also known as the Battle of the Maroons, referring to the school colours of the two schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's College, Kegalle</span> National school in Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka

St. Mary's College is a multi-faith school located in Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Established in 1867, it is the oldest boys' school in the city. In 2023 it had approximately 3,000 students and 135 teaching staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Match</span> Annual school cricket match series in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lankan cricket, a Big Match is an annual school cricket match typically played between two rival schools in Sri Lanka. These schools often have a long history of competition, some rivalries lasting over a century. Big matches have become a significant part of modern Sri Lankan culture, involving both school children and adults.

Matara Sports Club is a Division III cricket team in Matara, Sri Lanka. It played first-class cricket 1998 to 2001, before being demoted to Division II in 2002, and to Division III in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond–Mahinda Cricket Encounter</span>

The Richmond–Mahinda Cricket Encounter, popularly referred to as the Lovers' Quarrel, is an annual cricket big match played between the first XI cricket teams of Richmond College and Mahinda College in Galle, Sri Lanka. It is one of the longest cricket match series in Sri Lanka, having been played for over 119 years. It is played at the Galle International Stadium. Lovers' Quarrel began in 1905, under the two principals Rev. James Horne Darrel of Richmond College and Sir. Frank Lee Woodward of Mahinda College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. A. Dharmapala</span> Sri Lankan politician (1907–1989)

Colonel Candauda Arachchige Dharmapala, OBE, ED was a Sri Lankan politician. He was a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industries, Housing and Social Services and Member of Parliament for Hakmana. He also served as the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence, and as Security Adviser to President J. R. Jayewardene.

Uyanwatta Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Matara, Sri Lanka. It is situated on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. The Uyanwatte ground is home to Matara Cricket Club. The ground, which has staged `A' internationals and U19 matches, now looks set for a major period of development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Golds (Panadura and Moratuwa)</span> Annual School Cricket Match Series

Battle of the Golds is an annual Big Match played between Sri Sumangala College and Moratu Maha Vidyalaya since 1934. It is known as The Battle of the Golds due to the colours of the two schools' flags i.e. Green, Gold and Blue of Sri Sumangala College and Maroon, Gold & Maroon of Moratu Maha Vidyalaya.

References

  1. ↑ "School Song". Thomians' Science Society. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. 1 2 de Silva, Kamal (10 March 2004). "S. Thomas' College Matara is 160". The Daily News . Archived from the original on 18 February 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "History - St. Thomas' College, Matara". 16 January 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  4. ↑ "History - St. Thomas' College, Matara". 16 January 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  5. ↑ "History - St. Thomas' College, Matara". 16 January 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  6. ↑ "Our Heritage – How the Soviet Union kept on vetoing". The Sunday Times . 14 December 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  7. ↑ memes127en (9 January 2022). "Desmond de Silva dead and obituary, Legendary singer Desmond de Silva passes away". MRandom News. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.