St. Thomas' College, Matara
St. Thomas' College is a government primary and secondary school for boys in Matara, Sri Lanka which is located in the heart of Matara city. The college was initially founded as a private Anglican school by Christian Missionary Society of England, founded in 1844 by one of the first Anglican missionaries, Rev. Fr. N. J. Ondatjee,[2] in Wellamadama, Dondra. It presently has over 4,000 enrolled students studying from primary level to secondary level education.
| St. Thomas' College, Matara | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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Matara Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates | 5°56′54″N 80°32′38″E |
| Information | |
| Type | Government public school |
| Motto | Perseverando Vinces (Perseverance conquers all) |
| Established | 10 March 1844 |
| Founder | N. J. Ondatjee |
| Principal | P. L. Dhaya Shantha |
| Grades | Primary to GCE A/L |
| Gender | boys |
| Age | 6 to 19 |
| Enrollment | 4,000+ |
| Colour(s) | Chocolate and Light Blue |
| Song | "Saint Thomas' for ever " [1] |
| Affiliation | Anglican Church of Ceylon (one of the first Anglican Missionaries in Sri Lanka) |
| Website | www |
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 the determination to give their students a sound English education. As a result of this St. Thomas' School later to become 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.
The school was founded by one of the first Anglican missionaries, Rev. Fr. N. J. Ondatjee, in 1844 with a few students and three teachers.
Ondatjee was succeeded by a long line of distinguished principals who have all continued the good work producing many talented scholars over the years. The most outstanding among them was the late great Sinhala genius the late Kumaratunga Munidasa, who devoted his entire life for the upliftment of the Sinhala language and literature. He once expressed his enthusiasm for his alma-mater by writing the following phrase in his book, Kiyawana Nuwana, which is used as a text book in the school in the second form: "Among countries one which resembles the Island of Sri Lanka and among its cities, one which in Sri Lanka to Matara and among its schools, one which could stimulates St. Thomas' who will be able to emulate."
In the year 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. The 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 part of the 20th century.[2]
The Buddhist shrine room constructed at the College premises by the Old Boys Association in 1999 which was declared open by the Most Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha Thero, a Buddhist priest and also a past student of the college will stand as a historical monument for many more centuries.
The college can be justifiably proud of her achievements not only in studies but also in extra curricular activities. The school is one of the oldest cricket playing school in the island and plays the St. Thomas'–St. Servatius Cricket Encounter with St. Servatius' College. This is the second oldest cricket encounter in the island, also known as the Southerm Battle of the Blues or Battle of the Ruhunu.
St. Thomas' College also introduced scouting and cadetting to Matara.
Past principals
- N. J. Ondatjee
- Abraham Dias Abeysinghe
- John Stevensen Lyle
- F. H. De Winton
- Fedrick Dias Edirisinghe
- Clement La-brooy
- A. W. Wijesinghe
- J. W. Bultjens
- R. C. Reginold
- L. A. Arndt
- S. J. Gunasekeram
- J. C. Handy
- M. S. Solomon
- C. C. P. Arulpragasam
- R. V. L. Pereira
- J. E. M. Fernando
- K. B. Jayasuriya
- E. A. De L. W. Samarasinghe
- B. G. Sisira
- Ratnasiri Suraweera
- W. B. Piyathissa
College Anthem
The school song was composed by Leonard Archibald Arndt (1889-1955), the principal of the school between 1931 and 1933.
College houses
College houses' names and colours:
- Bultjens : Red
- Dias : Blue
- Ondatjee : Yellow
- Edirisinghe : Green
Sports
Cricket
The St. Thomas-St. Servatius Cricket Encounter, also known as Battle of the Blues (Matara) or Battle of the Ruhunu, is the annual school cricket match played between St. Thomas' College, Matara and St. Servatius' College played since 1900. This is the second oldest cricket encounter in the island which has won the hearts of the common people not only in Matara but even the rural folks of the deep south. People from all parts of the southern province rush to witness this big match every year which is popularly known as the Battle of the Ruhunu and also second Battle of the Blues in the Sri Lanka. It is second only to the Royal-Thomian annual cricket encounter. The match has been played as a 3-day game since 2000, which was the centenary match.
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.
Notable alumni
List of alumni of St. Thomas' College, Matara;
References
- "School Song". Thomians' Science Society. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- de Silva, Kamal (10 March 2004). "S. Thomas' College Matara is 160". The Daily News. Archived from the original on 18 March 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- "Our Heritage - How the Soviet Union kept on vetoing". The Sunday Times. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- memes127en (9 January 2022). "Desmond de Silva dead and obituary, Legendary singer Desmond de Silva passes away". MRandom News. Retrieved 13 January 2022.