Richmond College (Sri Lanka)
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Richmond College | |
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Crest of Richmond College
Nisi dominus frustra
Latin - ( No amount of human effort will bring success, without the blessings of God) |
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Information | |
Type | Government Public School |
Established | The Galle School in 1814 and re-named as Richmond in 1882 |
Founder | Founded by Rev. Benjamin Clough [1] |
Principal | E.M.S Ekanayake M.Sc.SLEAS1[2] |
Grades | Primary to G.C.E. (A/L) |
Gender | Boys |
Age | 6 to 19 |
Enrollment | 5000 |
Colour(s) | Maroon, Cyan, Navy Blue |
Website | http://www.richmond-college.com |
Richmond College (Sinhala: රිච්මන්ඩ් විද්යාලය) is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. Richmond College is a well-established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka. It has produced many prominent citizens, including two in the highest political positions, namely a former President, and a former Prime Minister.
Contents
History
The founder of Richmond was the Wesleyan Missionary Rev. Benjamin Clough. It was later renamed as Richmond College in 1882 as it was standing on Richmond Hill. Rev. Samuel Langdon[3] was the first Principal of the Galle High School. He is also credited with re-organising the existing school The Galle school. The School began with a staff of 8 who were teaching in the Galle School with 104 pupils on the roll. This opened the door for higher education. The last Principal of the Galle High School was Rev. Samuel Hill who advised the Mission to rename the school to Richmond. Six years later in 1882 the school was renamed "Richmond College" and Rev. Samuel Rowse Wilkins became the first Principal of Richmond.
Latin, Mathematics, Science, Arts and Religion were included in the curriculum, and children were trained to sit for British public examinations. A prize giving was held in its very first year, and a library with 500 books was opened in 1878.
The first College magazine was published in 1887. It was only the second occasion that a school in Ceylon had produced a magazine. The same year, the English Literary Union was formed and cricket was started in the school. In 1894, under the principal-ship of Rev. Hartley, the Richmond College Old Boys' Association was formed. Another important occurrence during that year was the establishment of the College Cadet Corps. Main Hall
Rev. James Horne Darrell[4] assumed duties as principal in 1896. The school experienced both physical expansion as well as qualitative growth. During his period, Richmond rose to be recognized as one of the best schools in the island. At the local University of Cambridge Examinations of 1905, Richmond earned top position among assisted schools and second place among all schools in Ceylon. The same year, the Richmond-Mahinda Cricket Encounter was played for the first time, with the two Principals, Rev. Darrell of Richmond and Mr. F. L. Woodward of Mahinda College, officiating as umpires. Rev. Darrell sacrificed his life for the college nursing the pupils who were afflicted with 'Typhoid' when there was an outbreak in the country and was buried at the Dadalla Cemetery, Galle. The Rev. W. J. T. Small became principal following the death of Rev. Darrell. Reverends Darrell and Small are the only two Principals of Richmond who have been buried side by side and it is a sad coincidence that both these great Principals met with their deaths under tragic circumstances; former due to Typhoid fever and the latter due to an accident.
Commerce was introduced as a subject in 1912. This was also the year in which Football was started at Richmond. In 1915, the 2nd Galle (Richmond) Scouts Group was established. Scouting at Richmond College enjoyed remarkable success from the beginning. The first two King's Scouts in the island were produced by Richmond. In 1916, Ceylon's first Cub Pack was started at Richmond College. A notable event during the Rev. Small's period was the formation of the National Association at Richmond in 1915. It was in effect a forum within the school for the emerging nationalist movement.
In 1922, Rev. Alec Sneath took over the reins of Richmond College. He was responsible for many measures which brought refinement and qualitative development to the school. In 1926, a well-equipped library was established in a new building. The Science Society was started the same year. In 1931, the Sinhala Literary Union came into being.
In 1940, the last of the missionary principals left, leaving the school in the hands of local graduates. Mr. E. R. de Silva,[5] an old boy (alumni) of the school, had the distinction of becoming the first Ceylonese principal of Richmond College. This was a period which saw major changes in the educational structure of Ceylon. The Free Education Scheme which was devised by Mr. C. W. W. Kannangara, an illustrious old boy of Richmond College, was being implemented, and the school had to be geared to suit the changes. The history of Richmond are from original Mission Records held in the Methodist Mission Library, in Colombo and in England.
In 1962, Richmond College, which was owned by the Methodist Mission, was vested in the government with no compensation to the Mission. Mr. D. G. Welikala, the first head of Richmond College under state management, was also its first Buddhist principal. With the takeover, the Methodist Vernacular School on Richmond Hill was amalgamated with Richmond. This school was referred to as the "Kaha Iskole" by some and "Pin Iskole (පින් ඉස්කෝලෙ )" meaning Charity school by others has been in existence from the time the Missionaries established a learning seat on Richmond Hill in 1858.
During this period, considerable expansion and change had to take place to cater to the new situation. Richmond College faced the challenge of transition so successfully that the then Minister of Education commended Richmond on several occasions, describing it as a model institution among nationalised schools[citation needed].
Richmond College was one of the first schools in the island to start the teaching of Agriculture as a subject. In 1969, it became the first school in the country to start an Agricultural stream for the Advanced Level.
In 1976, the College celebrated its centenary.[6] In terms of the provisions of the White Paper on Education, Richmond College was named as a National School in 1986. Richmond College Old Boys' Association was incorporated in 1998 by Act #04 of Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Past superintendents and principals
The following are the heads of the school from 1876. The Founder
- Rev. Benjamin Clough (1814)
Principals - Galle High School (1876 to 1882)
- Rev. Samuel Langdon (1876–1879)
- Rev. Robert Tebb (1879)
- Rev. Samuel Hill (1879–1882)
Principals - Richmond College (1882 to 1962)
- Rev. Samuel R Wilkins (1882–1888)
- Rev. Arthur Triggs (1888–1893)
- Rev. Horatius Hartley (1893–1896)
- Rev. James Horne Darrell (1896–1906)
- Rev. Percy T. Cash (1914 - 1915)
- Rev. W J T Small (1906–1922)
- Rev. Alec A Sneath (1922–1939)
- Rev. John Dalby (1939–1940)
- Mr. E R De Silva (1940–1957) First Ceylonese Principal
- Mr. A Shelton Wirasinghe (1957–1961)
- Mr. Claude Ivor de Silva (1961) - acting
Principals since vesting with the government (1962 to date)
- Mr. D G Welikala (1962–1971)
- Mr. J Munasinghe (1971–1973)
- Mr. S Kariyawasam (1973–1977)
- Mr. N P G Amarakeerthi (1978–1979)
- Mr. B Suriarachchi (1979–1986)
- Mr. S Illaperuma (1986–1994)
- Mr. W N R P Daniyas (1995–2007)
- Mr. Lt Col G S V B Shanthasiri - acting
- Mr. E M S Ekanayake (2007– incumbent)
Battle of the Lovers
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Richmond – Mahinda annual cricket encounter played between Richmond College and Mahinda College is known as Battle of the Lovers
Notable alumni
Presidents, Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and Legislators
- His Excellency Dr Mahinda Rajapaksa - Former President of Sri Lanka and Attorney-at-Law
- Hon. Dr Wijeyananda Dahanayake - Former Prime Minister of Ceylon
- Hon. Dr C. W. W. Kannangara - Former Minister of Education and "Father of Free Education" in Sri Lanka, and Attorney-at-Law
- Hon. Dr W. A. de Silva - Former Health Minister and veterinary surgeon
- Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa - The current Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and Former Minister of Aviation & Shipping
- Hon. Sir Cyril de Zoysa - former Senator
- Hon. D. A. Rajapaksa - Former Parliamentarian [Father of the former President of Sri Lanka and the Speaker of the Parliament]
- Hon. R. A. de Mel - Former Deputy Speaker of the parliament and former Mayor of Colombo
- Hon. P. H. William de Silva - Former Minister of Fisheries
- Hon. Vasudeva Nanayakkara- Parliamentarian and Minister, Attorney-at-Law
- Hon. Dr Hemakumara Nanayakkara - Former Minister of Agriculture and a Presidential Advisor
- Hon. Amarasiri Dodangoda - Former Minister of Justice & Legal Reform, Attorney-at-Law
- Hon. Ramesh Pathirana - Parliamentarian
- Hon. V . K . Indika - Parliamentarian
Judiciary
Only superior court judges names are given here
- His lord G . P . S . de silva . Chief Justice - 1991
- His lord Percy Colin Thome , Supreme court judge
- His lord M . W . H . de silva , supreme court judge
- His lord Jagath balapatambandhi , supreme court judge
- His lord D . S . C. Lekamwasam , appeal court judge
Prominent educationists
- Ediriweera Sarachchandra - playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist and social commentator, Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, Ambassador to France.
- Prof. E.F.C. Ludowyk - Professor of English, University of Peradeniya, who made yeoman contributions to modern English theatre in Sri Lanka
- H. A. I. Goonetilleke (Ian Goonetilleke) - Bibliographer and Librarian, University of Peradeniya, Darrell Medal (1941)
- Gamini Haththotuwegama - Professor, Universities of University of Peradeniya & University of Kelaniya, "Father" of Street Drama, writer, film critic
- Prof. George Dissanaike - Formerly Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Physics, University of Peradeniya, and Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences
- Prof. P. V. J. Jayasekera - Formerly Professor of History, Director, Institute for International Studies University of Peradeniya ,Darrell Medal (1954)
- P. de S. Kularatne - Prominent educationist, former Principal of Ananda College, Colombo & founder of Nalanda College, Colombo
Prominent civil servants
- Dr Nandasiri Jasentuliyana - Deputy to the Director-General, UN Office at Vienna and Director, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA)
- Mr. Prasad Kariyawasam - Ambassador to the USA and Former High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in India
- Mr Gamini Sedara Senarath - Former Additional secretary to the HE ,Chief of the Presidential Staff
- Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan - Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence
- Mr. Austin Fernando - Former Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Adviser to the president and the governor of the East..
Prominent musicians, dramatists and cinematographers
- Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra - playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist and social commentator
- Prof. E.F.C. Ludowyk - Professor of English, University of Peradeniya, who made yeoman contributions to modern English theatre in Sri Lanka
Prominent sportsmen and sports administrators
- Martin de Silva - Former Ceylonese cricketer
- Champaka Ramanayake - Former Sri Lankan cricketer and current bowling coach of Sri Lankan Cricket team
- Chamila Gamage - Former Sri Lankan cricketer
- Suranga Lakmal - Sri Lankan fast bowler
Medicine
- Dr.C G Uragoda Chest Physician Orientalist Folklorist and Author; President Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka Branch
- Dr . Sarath Gamini De Silva - consultant physician
References
- ↑ http://www.richmond-college.com
- ↑ http://www.richmondcollege.lk
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- ↑ http://www.richmond-college.com/famous_alumni.html
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richmond College, Galle. |
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- Richmond College (Sri Lanka)
- Alumni of Richmond College (Sri Lanka)
- Boys' schools in Sri Lanka
- Educational institutions established in 1814
- Former Methodist schools in Sri Lanka
- National schools in Sri Lanka
- Schools in Galle