St. John's College, Panadura
St John's College is a school in Panadura, Sri Lanka, that was founded in 1876. It is a National school with a student population of 2500 and staff of about 100.
| St. John's College, Panadura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| |
Udahamulla, Panadura | |
| Information | |
| Type | National school |
| Motto | Sinhala : උත්සාහවන්ත පුද්ගලයාට කල නොහැක්කක් නොමැත English : NIHIL AMANTI DIFFICILE |
| Established | 1876 |
| Founder | Head Master Cyril Arnold Jansz |
| Principal | M. Harshana Peiris |
| Faculty | Commerce, Maths, Science, Arts and Technology |
| Grades | Class 6 – 13 |
| Gender | Boys & Girls |
| Age | 11 to 19 |
| Colour(s) | Green & Silver |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Website | http://www.sjcpanadura.com |
History
St. John's College was initially known as 'Primary State English School' which had existed from about the middle of the 19th century. In 1876 it received endowments from Wasala Mudliyar Susew de Soysa (1809–1881) as well as Sir Charles Henry de Soysa and was named 'St. John's College' by the Bishop of Colombo Rt. Revd. Dr. Reginald Stephen Copleston. It was ceremonially opened by the Governor Sir William Henry Gregory on 14 June 1876 (along with the Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa).
In 1882, the headmaster, Cyril Arnold Jansz, was appointed the first principal by the Bishop of Colombo at the request of the people of Panadura and has rendered an immense service for the upliftment of the school. Starting with 75 students the numbers raised gradually and in 1885 classes for girls began at St John's started by Mrs Jansz. The school celebrated the 125th anniversary during the year 2000.[1][2]
Big match
The annual big match is played between St. John's College and Panadura Royal College. It is known as the Battle of the Greens and Battle of Panadura.[3]
Notable alumni
The alumni of St. John's College are known as Old Johnians.[4] Alumni include:
| Name | Year/degree | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premasiri Khemadasa | musician, composer | ||
| Ediriweera Sarachchandra | playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist | ||
| Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera | academic, diplomat | ||
| Sir Susantha de Fonseka | member State Council - Panadura (1931–1947) | ||
| Sir Bennet Soysa | member State Council, Senate, Mayor of Kandy (1949, 1954–1956, 1961–1962, 1968–1970) | ||
| Edmund Peiris | Gate Mudaliyar - Panadura, Kalutara | ||
| Reginald Perera | member parliament - Dehiowita (1947–1952), Senator (1959–1971) | ||
| Wilmot A. Perera | member parliament - Matugama (1947–1956) | ||
| Arthur V. Dias | independence activist, philanthropist | ||
| Leslie Goonewardene | independence activist, philanthropist and member parliament - Panadura (1956–1977) | ||
| Colvin R. de Silva | member parliament - Wellawatte-Galkissa (1947–1952, 1956–1960), Agalawatte (1970–1977) | ||
| Lalith Athulathmudali | member parliament - Colombo (1989–1993) | ||
| Percy Samaraweera | Chief Minister of Uva Province (1988), member parliament - Welimada (1965–1970, 1977–1988) | ||
| Ravindra Pushpakumara | international cricket player (1994–2001) | ||
| Charitha Buddhika | international cricket player (2001–2002) |
References
- A century and quarter of St. John's College... : Its great contribution for the development of education in Sri Lanka, by L. Panditharathna Daily News (Sri Lanka), Retrieved 05 December 2014
- The De Soysa Charitaya, by C. Don Bastian Jayaweera Bandara and V. S. M. De Mel, pp. 75–6, 106–9 & 142–5. (University of California) ASIN B00H1CYGL4
- "All eyes will be on Chamara Silva Battle of Panadura on March 27 and 28". Sunday Times News Paper.
- "Old Johnians recognise a renowned old boy". Sunday Times News Paper.
External links
- St. John's College Official Web Site
- Read this article in Sinhala
- Map in St. John's College
- "Cricket Stars Contest: Royal Panadura clear lead in three categories". Nation.lk. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02.
- "Dialog Youth Under 19 Cricket Awards" (PDF). sundayobserver.lk.