Vidyaloka College
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2017) |
| Vidyaloka College | |
|---|---|
 Crest of Vidyaloka College | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 6°02′05″N 80°13′00″E / 6.0348°N 80.2167°E |
| Information | |
| Type | National |
| Motto | Pali: Sukhō Paññāya Paṭilābhō Sinhala: සුඛෝ පඤ්ඤාය පටිලාභෝ (ප්රඥාව ලැබීම සැපයකි/Gaining wisdom is bliss) |
| Established | 14 January 1941 |
| Founder | Weliwitiye Punyasara Thera H. W. Amarasuriya |
| Grades | 1 to G.C.E. (A/L) |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 6 to 19 |
| Enrollment | 3,100 + |
| Houses | Ashoka Gemunu Prakrama Sangabo |
| Color(s) | Maroon and white |
| Song | Desha subushitha da abhimane |
| Affiliation | Buddhist |
| Website | vidyalokacollegegalle |
Vidyaloka College is a boys' school in Galle, Sri Lanka. The school was established on 14 January 1941 by philanthropist Henry Woodward Amarasuriya under the patronage of Venerable Weliwitiye Punyasara Thera.[1] It is a national school which accommodates over 3,100+ students and provides primary and secondary education to them.[2] The school was re-constructed after it was badly affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Students are divided into four houses according to their admission number. These houses are named after four ancient kings of Sri Lanka. The college provides education to about 3,100+[citation needed] students from grade 1 to grade 13 and it is regarded as one of the leading boys' schools in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.[according to whom?]
School boundaries
[edit]The land named, Kekiri Obada Watta, where the school is located stretches up to the Wackwella road to the east, Vidyaloka Lane to the north, Sri Devamitta Mawatha to the West and Queens Cinema to the south. It is located on flat land of about of 0.81 ha (2 acres) situated in the middle of Galle.
Past principals
[edit]- 1941 - 1944 : E. A. C. Munasinghe
- 1945 - 1964 : B. D. P. de Silva
- 1964 - 1965 : A. Hendravitharana
- 1965 - 1971 : B. K. de Silva
- 1971 - 1977 : Chandradasa de Silva
- 1977 - 1981 : Christy Nanayakkara
- 1981 - 1995 : D. H. Senevirathna
- 1996 - 2004 : M. B. L. de Silva
- 2004 - 2010 : N. G. Gunapala
- 2010 - 2013 : F. Welege
- 2013–present : Prasanna Senewiraththne
Sports
[edit]Vidyaloka College is one of the best sports schools in the southern province. Sports at the college include Athletics, Kabaddi, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball, Table tennis, Badminton, Gymnastics, Carrom, Hokey and Karate.
Cricket
[edit]
Battle of the Glory of Galle is an annual one day encounter cricket match played between the cricket teams of Vidyaloka College and St. Aloysius' College. The contest commenced in 2019.
By 2024, four annual competitions have been held with St. Aloysius' College having won three 3 times, while Vidyaloka College has yet to win. In 2024, the match ended in a draw due to bad weather conditions.[3] Along with this, a one-day competition of under 15 is also held annually. The matches are be held at the Galle International Stadium...
The school previously played a two-day encounter, Friends Battle, against Meepawala Amarasuriya Vidyalaya on February every year at the Galle International Cricket Ground. The matches between these two colleges begun in 1998 and all the matches had been drawn. The competition finished in 2012.[4]
Notable alumni
[edit]Education
[edit]| Name | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Dahanayake | founding professor of physics University of Kelaniya, founding president Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka | [5] |
| W. D. Lakshman | Governor of the Central Bank, Vice Chancellor University of Colombo (1994–1999), Economist | [6] |
| M. M. M. Najim | Vice Chancellor, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka |
Politics
[edit]| Name | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Nanda Gunasinghe | member parliament (Galle 1994–2001) | [7] |
| Richard Pathirana | Minister for Education and higher education (1994-2000), minister for State Administration, Home Affairs and Administration Reforms (2000–01), member of Sri Lankan parliament (1983-2001) | [8] |
Military
[edit]| Name | Notability | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renuka Rowel | Major General, Chief Signals Officer - Sri Lanka Signals Corps | [7] |
Sports
[edit]| Name | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | international cricket player (2004–present) | [9] |
| Ashan Randika | Sri Lankan Cricketer | [10] |
Arts and media
[edit]| Name | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| W. Jayasiri | actor, film director | [7] |
References
[edit]- ^ History of the College
- ^ Re-construction project at Vidyaloka College, Galle
- ^ https://www.dailynews.lk/2024/10/10/sports/648919/4th-glory-of-the-galle-l-o-cricket-encounter-today/
- ^ https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/daily-mirror-sri-lanka/20120223/294660527966963
- ^ Appreciation-Professor C. Dahanayake
- ^ Love & Appreciation - Professor W.D. Lakshman
- ^ a b c Old Vidyalokians
- ^ Pathirana’s service irreparable - Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Daily News, 2010
- ^ The fast and the furious
- ^ https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/ashan-randika-1082298