Royal College, Colombo

Royal College, Colombo (Sinhala: රාජකීය විද්‍යාලය, Tamil: ரோயல் கல்லூரி also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Rev. Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in January 1836, as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Colebrooke Cameron Commission (1833), and was the first government-run secondary school for boys in the island.

Royal College
Royal College motto on top of the Main building
Location

Coordinates6°54′16″N 79°51′40″E
Information
Former namesColombo Academy; Hill Street Academy
School typePublic National school
MottoFloreat (Flourish)
Disce aut discede (Learn or Depart)
EstablishedJanuary 1836 (January 1836)
FounderRobert Wilmot-Horton
Joseph Marsh
PrincipalThilak Waththuhewa
Staff400
Grades1-13
GenderBoys
Age6 to 19
Enrolment9,000
LanguageSinhala, Tamil, English
Colour(s)Navy blue and royal gold
  
Song"School of our Fathers"
PublicationRoyal College Magazine,
The Royalist
AffiliationMinistry of Education
AlumniOld Royalists
Websitewww.royalcollege.lk

Royal College is the first public school in Sri Lanka and is often referred to as the "Eton of Sri Lanka". The school was founded in the British public school tradition, based on the recommendations of the Colebrooke Cameron Commission (1833), and having been named the Royal College, Colombo in 1881 with consent from Queen Victoria, it became the first school to gain the prefix, "Royal", outside of the British Isles and it was one of the first schools to be designated as a national school by the Sri Lankan Government in the 1980s.

As a national school, it is funded by the government as opposed to the provincial council providing both primary and secondary education. The school was set as one of the most innovative educational institutions in the world at the fifth annual Worldwide Innovative Education Forum (IEF), organised by the Microsoft Corporation in 2009.

The students of Royal College are known as Royalists whilst past pupils are known as Old Royalists. The school has produced many distinguished alumni, among whom are presidents of two countries, a sultan, and four prime ministers.

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