Royal Preparatory School
| Royal Preparatory School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
Colombo Ceylon | |
| Information | |
| Type | Preparatory school |
| Established | 1933 |
| Affiliation | Royal College Colombo |
Royal Preparatory School (also known as Royal Primary School or Royal Junior School) was a preparatory school in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Its grounds and buildings now forms the primary school of the Royal College Colombo.
History
It was established in 1933 as a preparatory school to prepare students to the Royal College Colombo which was situated next to it (until the 1960s there was an entrance exam for its students). In 1944 it was evacuated to the Glendale Bungalow in Bandarawela, where it remained until 1948.
From 1966 to 1969, Royal Primary School Hall was built specially designed for local drama and music which required open air type auditorium in accordance to Natya Shastra. On 2 March 1972, Ceylon became a republic when the new Republican Constitution was passed by the Parliament that met at the Royal Primary School Hall.
The school was augmented with Royal College Colombo in December 1977, becoming the Primary School of Royal College Colombo which exists to this day. The school was a government administered school with its own head master; the post still exists today as the post of head master/mistress of the Primary School staffed by a Deputy Principal of Royal College Colombo.
Notable alumni
- Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP - Current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
- David de Kretser, AC, KStJ - former Governor of Victoria[1]
- Anura Bandaranaike - former Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs, tourism, Industry, Investment & National Heritage, Speaker, Leader of the Opposition & Member of Parliament
- Dinesh Gunawardena, MP - current Cabinet Minister of Urban Development, Sacred Area Development & Member of Parliament
- Anil Moonesinghe - former Cabinet Minister of Communications, Deputy Speaker and Chairman, Ceylon Transport Board.
- Susil Moonesinghe - former Chief Minister of the Western Province
- D.N.Samarasekera FRCS - Professor of Surgery at the University of Colombo
- C.V. Gunaratne - former Cabinet Minister of Industrial Development & Member of Parliament
- Mohan Lal Grero, MP - Educationist & Member of Parliament[2]
- Dav Whatmore - former Australian cricketer & Sri Lankan, Bangladesh team coach
Other schools
In 1948, the Bandarawela Senior School (current Bandarawela Central College) was established in the premises used by the school in Bandarawela during World War II after it moved back to Colombo that year.[3]
After the war then Minister of Education Major E. A. Nugawela open the Government Senior School (current Thurstan College) in 1950 at Thurstan Road; which was created to "accommodate the overflow of students Royal Primary who could not gain admission to Royal College". 112 students who could not gain admission to Royal College Colombo along with 26 other students were enrolled at the new Senior Government School.[4] [5]
In 1952 Greenlands College (current Isipathana College) at Greenlands Road was established with partial intake of students from Royal Preparatory School. [6]
References
- ↑ Sicille top guest at de Krester's fete
- ↑ Biography of Mohan Lal Grero
- ↑ "Needed: a new hostel for Royal". http://sundaytimes.lk. 1998-09-20. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ↑ Jan 18: Thurstan College 55th Founder's Day, Dailynews
- ↑ Thurstan our Alma Mater
- ↑ About Isipathana College