Thurstan College
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Coordinates: 6°54′16″N 79°51′40″E / 6.90444°N 79.86111°E
| Thurstan College | |
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Thamaso Ma Jyothirgamaya (Lead me from Darkness to Light)
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Colombo, Sri Lanka  |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1950
College Day - 11th January |
| Founder | Reverend father A. J. Thurstan |
| Principal | D.D.P.W. Gunarathne |
| Gender | Boys |
| Colour(s) | Blue, Gold & Red
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| Website | www.thurstancollege.net |
Thurstan College is a public school in Colombo. It is a National School, ie it is controlled by the Central government as opposed to the Provincial Council and provides both primary and secondary education.
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[edit] Overview
Founded in 1950 and named the Senior Government School, it accommodated students of Royal Junior School who could not gain admission to Royal College. Thurstan College today has a student population of 2500. It is situated in Colombo 7, in the heart of the educational triangle of Sri Lanka with the University of Colombo and the Royal College as neighbors.
Students take examinations conducted by the Ministry of Education[citation needed] and proceed to universities and higher educational institutes in Sri Lanka and overseas. The facilities at college include science laboratories, computer laboratories and libraries.
The college has more than 30 clubs and societies.
[edit] History
Thurstan School began at the end of World War Two in the 1940s. It was started as a result of the free education concept brought by scholar and minister of education Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara. Thurstan School was introduced as an institution of technical education, started after political independence in Sri Lanka from British rule. On one side was the 150 year old Royal College and on the other side was the Colombo Campus which was of similar age.
Reverend Father A. J. Thurstan started a private technical school in 1859 and maintained it out of his own funds. This institution had been a agricultural and multimedia technical training centre for many years but had to be closed down after a few years. In 1884 with the assistance of the British Government an agricultural school was started in the same place. There is evidence to show that around this agricultural school there had been a flourishing cinnamon cultivation, and today Colombo 7 is known as Cinnamon Gardens due to this cultivation. The agricultural school was started by the then Director of Education Mr. H. W. Green. In 1910 it was closed down.
There was a problem of space faced by Royal College and there was a need for another school for those students who could not gain admission to Royal. This problem went to then Premier D. S. Senanayake and he suggested to occupy the buildings left vacant due to the shift of the teacher training school to Maharagama.
A new school was opened by then Minister of Education by Mr. E. A. Nugewela on January 11th, 1950 named as government Senior School at Thurstan road. There were 26 students who entered the grade one, to grade six 112 students were enrolled. There are all who passed grade 5 at Royal College. The principal of the new school was Mr. D. E. A. Shokman. He introduced a house system for sports, student leadership (prefects), cadetting, and literary associations. He named the houses after the for directors of Education during British rule namely Denham, Macrey, Robison and Sandeman.
[edit] Principals
Mr. D. E. A. Schokman - 11.01.1950 - 31.12.1955
Mr. M. D. Gunawardhana - 01.01.1956 - 17.01.1967
Mr. P. M. Jayathilaka - 01.02.1967 - 09.10.1969
Mr. S. Pandithasekera - 16.03.1970 - 30.04.1974
Mr. A. K. Waidyasekara - 02.05.1974 - 20.01.1978
Mr. P. S. Gunasekhara - 24.01.1978 - 31.12.1987
Mr. H. D. Herman Perera - 01.01.1988 - 20.10.1992
Mr. R.D.M.P. Weerathunga -
[edit] Houses
The students are divided into four houses named after past Directors of Education.
- Downham
- Macrae
- Robison
- SandimanN
[edit] Sports
Thurstan has a Junior and Senior play ground, a swimming pool and tennis courts. Some of the sports played are
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[edit] Societies
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[edit] Notable alumni
- Hon.Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka
- Hon.Jayantha Wickramarathne - Inspector-General of Police - Sri Lanka Police Service
- Hon.Dixson Dela Bandara - Governor - Northern Province - Sri Lanka
- Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama, RSP, USP - Governor - Eastern Province - Sri Lanka
[edit] Donations
 Thurstan swimming pool, donated by Old Thurstanite Lion Gratian Gunawardena in 2000 |
 Kumar Devapura Building, donated by Old Thurstanite Deshabandu Kumar Devapura in 1996 |
 Mainhall Chairs, donated By Old Thurstanite Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa now the President of Sri Lanka in 2000 |
 Score Board - College Premises, donated by Mr. S.T.K Fernando in 1996 |
[edit] Gallery
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