D. S. Senanayake College
Encyclopedia
D.S. Senanyake College is a public school in Sri Lanka
, named after the first Prime Minister
of Independent Sri Lanka, Rt.Hon. D.S. Senanayake
. It was established on February 10, 1967 under the stewardship of RIT Alles.
(Cinnamon Gardens
). School has current enrollment of over 6000 students with an academic staff of 275. It is among the most sought after schools in Colombo. The school is listed among the National Schools
, which come under the administration of the Ministry of Education
, thus has direct funding from the ministry.
on the lines of Royal College Colombo
. In 1967, the then Minister of Education I.M.R.A. Iriyagolle began the ground work for establishing the school. It was named after D.S. Senanayake, who was the first prime minister of Sri Lanka
(then Ceylon) after gaining independence. R.I.T. Alles, a teacher of woodcraft at Royal College
became the Head Master of the new school. The location in which the college stands today was at that time called the Kumbikale jungle.
School anthem was composed by Navathna Attanayake and the lyrics are by Premakeerthi de Alwis.
is a shield which is partitioned into two parts. The upper section has the lion of the Sri Lankan flag
and the lower section has an oil lamp
. A wreath of paddy
is partially encircling the shield and the motto Country Before Self is in a scroll. Some decades back, the crown of the Kandyan monarch which is depicted in the crest of Royal College Colombo
, was depicted in the school's crest as well.
Mahinda Rajapakse trophy, Founder R.I.T. Alles trophy, and I.M.R.A. Iriyagolla trophy. The Best Allrounder of the year, typically chosen from the GCE Advanced Level
students, is awarded to the best student of the year.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, named after the first Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
of Independent Sri Lanka, Rt.Hon. D.S. Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake was an independence activist who served as the first Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1947 to 1952.-Early life:...
. It was established on February 10, 1967 under the stewardship of RIT Alles.
Overview
D.S. Senanayake College is situated in Colombo 07Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
(Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located 3 kilometers south-east from Colombo city centre. Cinnamon Gardens is named from the former Cinnamon plantation in this area. In the year 1789, there were of Cinnamon trees in Cinnamon Gardens...
). School has current enrollment of over 6000 students with an academic staff of 275. It is among the most sought after schools in Colombo. The school is listed among the National Schools
Education in Sri Lanka
Education in Sri Lanka has a long history which dates back two millennia and the Constitution of Sri Lanka provide for education as a fundamental right. The Sri Lanka's population has a literacy rate of 92%, higher than that expected for a third world country; it has the highest literacy rate in...
, which come under the administration of the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
, thus has direct funding from the ministry.
History
In 1965 the number of requests to admit children into the Royal College Primary had become excessive. Thus the Minister of Education I.M.R.A. Iriyagolle took the initiative to build a new school in Cinnamon GardensCinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located 3 kilometers south-east from Colombo city centre. Cinnamon Gardens is named from the former Cinnamon plantation in this area. In the year 1789, there were of Cinnamon trees in Cinnamon Gardens...
on the lines of Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
. In 1967, the then Minister of Education I.M.R.A. Iriyagolle began the ground work for establishing the school. It was named after D.S. Senanayake, who was the first prime minister of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(then Ceylon) after gaining independence. R.I.T. Alles, a teacher of woodcraft at Royal College
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
became the Head Master of the new school. The location in which the college stands today was at that time called the Kumbikale jungle.
Houses
Students are placed in one of four houses according to their admission number.They compete each year to win the Inter-house Competitions. – Shura – Weera – Shantha – MeththaSchool anthem
Coat of arms
The Coat of ArmsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is a shield which is partitioned into two parts. The upper section has the lion of the Sri Lankan flag
Flag of Sri Lanka
The flag of Sri Lanka, also called the Lion Flag, consists of a gold lion, holding a kastane sword in its right fore paw, in front of a crimson background with four golden bo leaves, one in each corner. Around the background is a yellow border, and to its left are 2 vertical stripes of equal size...
and the lower section has an oil lamp
Oil lamp
An oil lamp is an object used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and is continued to this day....
. A wreath of paddy
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
is partially encircling the shield and the motto Country Before Self is in a scroll. Some decades back, the crown of the Kandyan monarch which is depicted in the crest of Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
, was depicted in the school's crest as well.
Sports
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Body Building
- Cadet Band - Eastern
- Chess
- Cricket
- Football
- Gymnastics
- Hand ball
- Hockey
- Judo
- Karate
- Rugby
- Scouting
- Scrabble
- Squash
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Wushu
Clubs and societies
Main Article: List of Clubs and Associations of D.S. Senanayake College.- Archives Society
- Art Foundation
- Buddhist Society
- Commerce Society
- Computer Society
- Drama Society
- English Literary Association
- Environment Society
- United Nations Association
- GLOBE society
- Hindu Society
- Information Technology Club
- Library Society
- Media Circle
- Oriental Music Group (Ghandharva Orchestra)
- Philatelic Association
- Photographic Society
- Wildlife Society
- Radio Electronic and Video graphic Association
- Red Cross Society
- Rotary Club
- Science Society
- Scouts Troop (60th Colombo)
- Sinhala Debating Team
- Sinhala Sahithya Sangamaya (Sinhala Literary Association)
- Tamil Literary Association
- Western Music Association
Aesthetic activities
The main Eastern music concert is "Swa Thath Miyuru Rata", organized by the Ghandarva Orchestra, whereas the main Western music concert is "Golden Eve", organized by the Western Music Association. The Art Foundation of the school organizes an art and sculpture exhibition called "ARTISTEO" (formerly known as "Sonduru Situwam") and the Sinhala Literary Association annually organizes "Kala Ulela" (Arts Festival). The main concert of the Primary school is "Arunalu" festival.School magazine
Siyapatha is the official school magazine which started in 2001 and is published quarterly. The magazine contains recent news of the college, featured articles and selected literary work from the student body.Award Ceremonies
The Prize Giving Day is held every year in the end of November or in early December to award the students who excelled in their academia in the current year. It is usually patronised by the Minister of Education. Outstanding students are awarded with trophies such as PremierPremier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Mahinda Rajapakse trophy, Founder R.I.T. Alles trophy, and I.M.R.A. Iriyagolla trophy. The Best Allrounder of the year, typically chosen from the GCE Advanced Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
students, is awarded to the best student of the year.
School hostel
The Government of Sri Lanka offered a building previously occupied by the Crime Investigation Bureau in 2003. After renovating the building the school hostel was opened in January 2003.Prefects
The Prefects body is composed of Student Volunteers, Student Guides and Senior Prefects. The Student Volunteers are selected from Grade 12 and they go onto become Students Guides in Grade 13. After completing the GCE (Advanced Level) examination they are promoted to the Senior Council of Prefects,Notable alumni
- Aravinda de SilvaAravinda de SilvaPinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who is considered one of the finest batsmen produced by the country.He is also regarded as one of the most elegant batsman in his generation, and to date is the only player to make a hundred and take 3 or more wickets in a world cup...
- Cricketer, National Team Captain, Ex-Chairman - National Selectors Committee for Cricket in Sri Lanka - Hashan TillakaratneHashan TillakaratneHashan Prasantha Tillakaratne is a Sri Lankan cricketer and a politician.-Cricket career:As a schoolboy in 1986, he was selected to play against England B at Galle, scoring a century to save the match. He played in his first One Day International in November 1986, and emerged into the Sri Lankan...
- Cricketer, National Team Vice Captain, Politician - Prasanna VithanagePrasanna VithanagePrasanna Vithanage is one of Sri Lanka's most notable filmmakers. His films have won many awards, both local and international....
- Filmmaker - Udaya GammanpilaUdaya GammanpilaUdaya Prabhath Gammanpila is a Sri Lankan politician and current Minister of Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Irrigation, Livestock Production and Development, Trade and Environment in Western Provincial Council.Gammanpila was active in politics since his schooling days at D. S...
- Politician