The College
S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia is an Anglican Church School, which was founded by the first Bishop of Colombo, the Rt. Rev. James Chapman, D. D. It was his foremost vision to build a College & Cathedral for the new Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon. Thus on the 3rd of February 1851 the College of St .Thomas the Apostle, Colombo was opened with the objective of training a Christian Clergy and to make Children good citizens under the discipline & supervision of Christianity.
Christian values were the corner stone on which the school was founded. Students of all races and religions studied in harmony. The School grew from strength to strength at the place of its origin, Mutuwal, for over a three score of years, carefully nurtured by Wardens such as Revs. Wood, Miller, Read & Buck. Warden Stone in 1918, found that the dusty environs of Mutuwal were not best suited for his pupils and so shifted the College to the picturesque campus at Mount Lavinia. Since then 8 loyal caring Warden including the Canon R.S. de Saram have ensured that the well preserved traditions and values are handed down from generation to generations. In 1951 it became a private fee levying school and is today one of the foremost educational institutions in Sri Lanka. In fact it could, in addition, lay claim to be one of the very best.
The College which is under the Church of Ceylon is run by a Board of Governors which is chaired by the Anglican Bishop of Colombo who is also known as the ‘Visitor of the College’. The administration of the College itself is headed by a Warden assisted by a Sub Warden. There is also a Chaplaincy connected with the College and the famous College Chapel of the Transfiguration. The College consists of 3 schools, namely Upper, Middle & Lower Schools and is further divided into six main sections under Headmaster, Deputy Headmaster and Sectional heads viz. (The Upper School – Arts and Commerce, the Upper School – Science, the Upper School – London A Levels, the Upper School, the Middle School, and the Lower School.)
The biggest asset possessed by the school is the student body which comprises of more than 2500 members. Although the majority is composed of Christians, students of other faiths & diverse races takes place in it. It is a well disciplined community and excels in both academic and extra curricular activities.
Materially too, STC has many facilities for sports and extra curricular activities. S. Thomas’ was the first School in Sri Lanka to have a swimming pool, gifted by Dr. R. L. Hayman in 1933. Two of the best playing fields viz. The Big Club and the Small Club – probably the finest school grounds in the island – afford Thomians the facilities for sports, namely cricket, rugby, soccer, athletics and hockey. There are also well laid courts for tennis, basketball and volleyball. In 1994 the indoor cricket nets were added and the pinnacle of all facilities the Indoor Sports Complex in 3 phases was completed in 1996. The sports complex which houses Table Tennis facilities, Badminton Courts, 3 glass back squash courts and a basketball court – all of an international standard, together with one of the most modern and well equipped gymnasiums. The Annual Cricket Encounter between us & Royal College Colombo 7 (The Battle of the Blues or the popular ‘Roy-Tho’) is one of the oldest cricket matches, which is being held without interruption even during the World Wars. Rowing also takes a high place in the field of sports
The achievements of STC and its products are far too numerous to be mentioned here. But it must be said that it is one of the foremost educational institutions in Sri Lanka, which has made a significant contribution to the nations progress over its 150 years of existence. Among its proud products stand a host of Christian Clergymen, Prime Ministers ( Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake, Hon. Dudley Senanayake, Hon. S.W.R.D Bandaranaike, Hon. W. Dahanayaka) Cabinet Ministers, Members of the Judiciary, Scholars, Scientists, Diplomats, Doctors, Engineers, Accountants, Musicians, Artists, Dramatists etc. All Thomians in diverse walks of life have not only learnt of Books & Men & how to play the game but also to be Gentlemen.
S. Thomas’ College is therefore much more than just a school. It is an institution rich in tradition, characterized by nearly one and a half centuries of hard work, dedication and achievement, all imbibed with the legendary Thomian Spirit. A pioneering institution which has understood and nurtured the very best in youth; where mere boys went in and great men came out to be "men and gentlemen always" men who beat the odds with the legendary "Thomian grit" and gentlemen who up held the motto of the school - Esto Perpetua!
Esto Perpetua - Pro Deo et Ecclesia
Be Thou forever for God & His Church
The OBA
The OBA was established in 1986. In its infancy the main event was an annual dance, organised as a joint Royal - Thomian initiative. The OBA is made up of many generations of boys who studied at S Thomas College - Mount Lavinia, Prep School Colpetty and Gurutalawa. The Association is run by a Committee, which is elected annually. It provides an opportunity for Old Thomians to reminisce and to keep abreast of events in their respective campuses. Its main publication is the annual dance Souvenir, whose principal content is the recollections of Old Thomians … their lives and times at STC. These 'memoirs', from Old Boys and retired Teachers alike, often focus on a particular era, viewed with the benefit of hindsight. It is interesting to see now how old 'adversaries' go out of their way to acknowledge the folly of youth and the wisdom of their teachers.
Through the OBA many Thomians have re-established contact with the 'Alma Mater', becoming actively involved in a variety of projects to improve the facilities in the school. The NSW branch over the years has donated cricketing and Rugby equipment, sponsored coaching services, donated books and conducted specialised coaching clinics for the schools in Sri Lanka.
The Thomian OBA movement, with 9 OBAs worldwide, is an ideal vehicle for those who wish to give something back to the College.
The main gate every Thomian had to pass through. Being individuals we all experienced different emotions as we passed through these gates. But when we walked out for the 'last time' as young men, and turned around and looked at them for the 'last time,' we realised how much we had grown to love our school, and we were comforted by the knowledge that our times and experiences here would live in our hearts and minds forever.
|
