Methodist Central College is a
provincial school
Provincial may refer to:
Government & Administration
* Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country
* Provincial city (disambiguation)
* Provincial minister (disambiguation)
* Provincial Secretary, a position in Cana ...
in
Batticaloa
Batticaloa ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu''; si, මඩකලපුව, ''Maḍakalapuwa'') is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the B ...
,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
History
Methodist Central College was established in 1814 by Rev. William Ault, one of the
Wesleyan Methodist missionaries to
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The missionaries sailed to Ceylon from
Portsmouth, England
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dense ...
on 30 December 1813, landing in Ceylon on 29 June 1814. Methodist Central College was the first educational institution in
Batticaloa
Batticaloa ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu''; si, මඩකලපුව, ''Maḍakalapuwa'') is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the B ...
.
In the early years, according to Shirley Somanader, "the Boys’ school was held on the verandah facing College House (presently the Puliyantivu Methodist Minister’s Manse)".
Somander also wrote, "In 1859, the new school was completed at a cost of 350 British Pounds."
At the bicentennial of the College in 2014, according to the school's alumni association, "In recognising and commemorating this historic event, the Government of Sri Lanka has approved the release of a new stamp this year. Since the inception of this college in 1814, its profound achievements in the arenas of culture, education and religion have kept on flourishing on the island."
See also
*
List of schools in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The following is a list of schools in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province ( ta, கிழக்கு மாகாணம் ''Kiḻakku Mākāṇam''; si, නැගෙනහිර පළාත ''Næ̆gĕnahira Paḷāta'') is one o ...
References
Former Methodist schools in Sri Lanka
Provincial schools in Sri Lanka
Schools in Batticaloa
External links
* {{YouTube, id=GrXe7YNUPlo, title=Methodist central college big match 2017 (video, 5:33 minutes)