School History

SCHOOL HISTORY………..

It is obvious that the world History is the most important and very special to any one anything or any country in the world.  Accordingly our school, St. Mary’s Tamil College also has a very proud and long history of 147 years and it possess a 50 years of history as a Tamil medium school too.

In 1815 after the Englishmen invaded our country everything began to change including administration system.  Education system Agriculture system so on.  As a result of that the whole education system was completely changed and highly connected with their religion.  English man started Missionary Education in Sri Lanka and along with that Kg/ St. Mary’s College which was at 48^th mile post in Kandy Colombo road, was established under the supervision of Rev. Father, Domilio Singoni.

It was very special incident that this school has been started as the 5^th missionary school in the island after starting schools in Colombo, Galle, Kandy and in Jaffna peninsula.

It’s mentioned in the 14^th page of “Kegalu Puranaya” by the author M.D.M.S. Yatawara that this school has been established in 1866.

During the same era it has been started in the Blue Book of Agent that this school was started in 1867. Considering all these things we can come to a conclusion that Kg/ St. Mary’s College was established permanently in 1967. By that time in 1833 there’s only one teacher and 22 students were studying in it. After the Female students were admitted to school it became a mixed school in 1855.

Later in 1910, St. Joseph College was established for the girls and in turn St. Mary’s College Became a Boys School. From that Period on wards, the students could be able to sit for London Cambridge Examination. In 1890 Under the Circular released the Examination Department for the Government schools in 1888.

From 1895 to 1901, there were several Rev. Father involved in developing the College. They were the Rev. Father Paul Nute Jesu, Rev. Father Eugin Silva, Rev. Father James Perra and Mr. J. Herath. They have done a great service to St. Mary’s College to reach it atmost level and to become a one of the leading school in the island under the special guidance of Rev. Father Speel Boot, 110 Students had been doing studies in the school in 1922. In 1930 the Governor Sir, Stafas has participated in a function held at school as the chief guest.  In 1936 there were 500 students studying in the school.   Unfortunately due to the outbreak of Malaria epidemic the number of students decreased up to 315.In 1940 a special priority was given to the field of sports and in 1942 Science subjects were upgraded through building a science laboratory.  And also dividing students to the “Houses” considered as a special thing happened in this period. In 1949 this school was graded as a 2^nd type of school. By that time studies were taken place in all three medium, Sinhala, Tamil and English.  In 1957, the senior teacher Mr. Benedict Silva had started class for the university entrance.  During that period there were 686 students and 36 teachers were working in the college.   In 1960 St. Mary’s College became a government school.  The students were engage in studies in Sinhala, Tamil and English medium.  They all were together in harmony under the same roof St. Mary’s College.  And then the school was continued its journey under the guidance of the Head master Mr. S.F. Wickramasinghe.  Afterward the Head master Mr Liyanage took over the leadership of the school.  From 1960 to 1964 St. Mary’s college was functioned as single with Sinhala, Tamil and Burger students.

In 1964it was it was separated into two schools by Hon. Minister P.B.G. Kallugalla and St. Mary’s Tamil College was taken to a building close to the hostels of Rev. Fathers.This process of taking over the school gave Tamil people an immense pleasure as had their own school during the time there were no such separate Tamil medium school s in”Sathara Koralaya”,  with the regaining of St. Mary’s Tamil College.  It was a great privilege to all the students who hailed from the neighbouring planation sector communities around Kegalle to engage in studied in their own mother tongue, the Tamil language.