St. John's College, Jaffna

St. John's College (Tamil: பரி. யோவான் கல்லூரி Ceṉ. Yōvāṉ Kallūri, SJC) is a private school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.[1] Founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools.[2][3]

St. John's College பரி. யோவான் கல்லூரி
Address
St. John's College Location in central Jaffna
Main Street, Chundikuli Jaffna, Jaffna District , Northern Province 40000 Sri Lanka
Coordinates	9°39′27.90″N 80°01′36.90″E
Information
School type	Private 1AB
Motto	Latin: Lux in Tenebris Lucet (Light Shines in the Darkness)
Religious affiliation(s)	Christianity
Denomination	Anglicanism
Founded	1823 (1823)
Founder	Rev. Joseph Knight
School district	Jaffna Education Zone
Authority	Church of Ceylon
School number	1001029
Principal	V. S. B. Thuseetharan
Headmaster	A. H. Gnanarajan
Head teacher	V. Kumanan
Chaplain	Rev. Jurinesz Shadrach
Teaching staff	95
Grades	1-13
Gender	Boys
Age range	5-18
Language	Tamil, English
Houses	Handy (green) Johnstone (blue) Pargiter (red) Peto (purple) Thompson (yellow)
School roll	2,130
Website	sjcjaffna.com
Knight block

History

In 1817 the Anglican Church Mission Society (CMS) approved the establishment of missions in Ceylon.[4] On 20 December 1817 four clergymen – Joseph Knight, Samuel Lambrick, Robert Major and Benjamin Ward – and their wives left England and sailed to Ceylon on board the Vittoria.[4] They arrived in late June 1818.[4] Knight went to Jaffna, Lambrick went to Colombo, Major and his wife went to Galle and Ward and his wife to Trincomalee.[4] Knight started his missionary work in 1818 in Nallur.[4]

The Nallur English Seminary was established in March 1823 by Knight.[5][6] The school had only 7 students and was located in Knight's bungalow. In 1845 the school was relocated to Chundikuli and renamed the Chundikuli Seminary.

In the same year the Church Mission Society took over the old Portuguese St. John the Baptist church. In 1846 the school moved into a hall next to the church.[7] The church was demolished in 1859 and replaced by the current church.[8]

The school was renamed St. John's College in 1891.[9] The free education system was introduced by the government in 1945 but SJC chose to remain outside the system.[5] In 1951 SJC joined the free education system.[5] Most private schools in Ceylon were taken over by the government in 1960 but SJC chose to remain as a private and non-fee levying school.[5]

SJC's principal C. E. Anandarajah was shot dead on 26 June 1985 in Jaffna.[10] It is alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam assassinated Anandarajah for organising a cricket match with the Sri Lankan military.[11]

Big Match

Main article: Battle of the North (cricket match)

SJC play Jaffna Central College in annual cricket match known as the Battle of the North or the Battle of the Blues.[12][13][14] The first match took place in 1904.[15][16]

Principals

[17]

• 1823-1825 Rev. Joseph Knight
• 1825-1839 Rev. W. Adley
• 1839-1841 Rev. F. W. Taylor
• 1841-1846 Rev. I. T. Johnstone
• 1846-1866 Rev. R. Pargiter
• 1866-1874 Rev. T. Good
• 1874-1878 Rev. D. Wood
• 1878-1879 Rev. E. Blackmore
• 1879-1889 Rev. G. T. Fleming
• 1889-1892 Rev. C. C. Handy (Acting)
• 1892-1895 Rev. J. W. Fall
• 1895-1899 Rev. I. Carter
• 1899-1900 Rev. R. W. Ryde
• 1900-1919 Rev. Jacob Thomson
• 1919 Rev. K. C. Mc Pherson (Acting)
• 1920-1940 Rev. Henry Peto
• 1940-1957 Rev. J. T. Arulanantham[18]
• 1957-1959 P. T. Mathai
• 1959-1966 A. W. Rajasekeram
• 1967-1976 K. Pooranampillai[19]
• 1976-1985 C. E. Anandarajah[20]
• 1985-1987 T. Gunaseelan
• 1987 K. Pooranampillai
• 1988-1993 Dr. E. S. Thevasagayam[21][22]
• 1990-1993 S. Thanapalan (Acting)
• 1993-2006 S. Thanapalan
• 2006-2019 Rev. N. J. Gnanaponrajah
• 2019 Ven. Samuel J. Ponniah (Acting)
• 2020- V. S, B. Thuseetharan

Notable alumni

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Name	Notability	Reference
D. J. Ambalavanar	Bishop of Jaffna (Church of South India) (1971–1993)	[23]
C. E. Anandarajah	Principal St. John's College, Jaffna (1976–1985)	[20]
J. T. Arulanantham	Principal St. John's College, Jaffna (1940–1957)	[18]
K. D. Arulpragasam	Vice-Chancellor Eastern University (1986–1996)	[24]
S. Arumugam	Director of Irrigation, author	[25]
Y. Balaretnarajah	Major general Chief of the Defence Staff (1992)	[26][27]
Nishan Canagarajah	Pro-vice-chancellor University of Bristol (2014–present)	[28]
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam	leader Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi/Tamil United Liberation Front, member parliament – Kankesanthurai (1947–1952, 1956–1977)	[29]
R. R. Crossette-Thambiah	Solicitor General (1950–1951)	[30]
Alfred Duraiappah	member parliament – Jaffna (1960–1965), Mayor of Jaffna (1970–1975)	[31][32]
M. K. Eelaventhan	member parliament – National List (2004–2007)	[33]
Rajan Hoole	academic, human rights activist	[34]
Ratnajeevan Hoole	academic, professor electrical engineering	[35]
Clarence Jey	musician, songwriter, record producer
Visakan Kadirkamanathan	academic, professor signal & information processing	[36]
S. Kulendran	Bishop of Jaffna (Church of South India) (1947–1970)
K. C. Logeswaran	Governor of Western Province (2015–present)	[37][38]
T. Maheswaran	member parliament – Colombo (2004–2008)	[39]
C. Nagalingam	acting Governor-General (1954), acting Chief Justice (1954), Attorney General (1946–1947)	[40]
Satchi Ponnambalam	Puisne Judge – Supreme Court of Belize (1985–1993), Chief Magistrate of Belize, Senior State Advocate of Zambia	[41]
V. Ponnampalam	Gate Mudaliyar, President of the Jaffna Co-operative Bank	[42]
Nadarajah Raviraj	member parliament – Jaffna (2001–2006), Mayor of Jaffna (2001)	[43][44]
Sam A. Sabapathy	Mayor of Jaffna (1949, 1952–1955)	[45]
R. R. Selvadurai	Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice (1951–1955)	[46]
Maithripala Senanayake	member parliament – Medawachchiya (1947–1989), Governor of North Central Province (1994–1998)	[47][48]
R. Sivagurunathan	journalist, editor – Thinakaran (1961–1994)	[49][50][51]
C. Suntharalingam	member parliament – Vavuniya (1947–1960)	[52]
Henry Thambiah	Supreme Court Judge (1960–1972)	[53]
C. J. T. Thamotheram	educationist	[54][55]
S. Vithiananthan	vice-chancellor University of Jaffna (1979–1988)	[37]
Dingiri Bandara Welagedara	member parliament – Kurunegala, Governor of North Central Province (1988–1989)	[56][57]
V. Yogeswaran	member parliament – Jaffna (1977–1983)	[58]

See also

• List of schools in Northern Province, Sri Lanka

Notes

1. Schools Basic Data as at 01.10.2010. Northern Provincial Council. 2010. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03.
2. "The South's well-known Northern voice". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 16 November 2006.
3. "War scars slowly heal in Jaffna peninsula". The Island (Sri Lanka)/Reuters. 15 March 2004.
4. Martyn 1923, p. 166.
5. "St.John's College – Jaffna. Principal Events in the Past". St Johns College Jaffna Old Boys Association South Sri Lanka.
6. "The Early Days". Chundikuli St. John's Past Pupils Association.
7. Martyn 1923, p. 188.
8. Martyn 1923, p. 29.
9. Martyn 1923, p. 54.
10. "The trail of terror". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 24 May 2009.
11. Gautamadasa, Aravinda (29 July 2005). "Commemorating a slain principal". The Island, Sri Lanka.
12. "Jaffna big match starts Thursday". TamilNet. 9 March 2006.
13. Ratnayake, Samiddha (21 February 2010). "The tradition lives on". The Nation (Sri Lanka).
14. "Big Match: St. John's and Jaffna Central draw their 106th encounter". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 10 March 2012.
15. "'Battle of North' begins in Jaffna". TamilNet. 26 February 2010.
16. "The Centenary 'Battle of the North'". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 16 March 2004. Archived from the original on 21 December 2004.
17. "History". St. John's College, Jaffna. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008.
18. Arumugam 1997, pp. 12-13.
19. "Hartley past principal's funeral held in UK". TamilNet. 30 April 2001.
20. Arumugam 1997, p. 7.
21. Kanapathipillai, S. (26 August 2007). "He served his country and alma mater". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
22. "Obituaries". The Island (Sri Lanka). 7 August 2007.
23. Arumugam 1997, pp. 4-5.
24. "Ex Vice-Chancellor of Eastern University dies". TamilNet. 8 August 2003.
25. Arumugam 1997, pp. 16-17.
26. Palakidnar, Anant (15 March 2009). "'Battle of the North' with a difference". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 31 May 2014.
27. "Major General Y Balaretnarajah VSV USP ndc". Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.
28. "Professor Nishan Canagarajah's Appointment as Pro-Vice Chnacellor of Bristol University". Tha Lifestyle. 1 (3): 1. March 2014.
29. Arumugam 1997, pp. 36.
30. Arumugam 1997, pp. 44-46.
31. Arumugam 1997, pp. 50-51.
32. "Masked gunmen kill Jaffna Mayor Shot dead outside temple". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
33. Arumugam 1997, pp. 51.
34. "About People" (PDF). Tamil Times. 1 (12): 12. September 1982.
35. Palakidnar, Ananth (4 April 2006). "Persons with ambitions but no abilities, stirring Jaffna University crisis". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
36. "Professor Visakan Kadirkamanathan". University of Sheffield.
37. Sivathasan, S. (10 August 2013). "My Reminiscences of St. John's College, Jaffna". Colombo Telegraph.
38. "SLT Lanka Bell merger off". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 29 February 2004. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
39. Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (6 January 2008). "Maheswaran: Blend of Business Acumen and Political Savvy". The Nation (Sri Lanka).
40. Arumugam 1997, pp. 111.
41. Arumugam 1997, pp. 141-142.
42. Arumugam 1997, pp. 142-143.
43. "Tamil Parliamentarian Raviraj assassinated in Colombo". TamilNet. 10 November 2006.
44. "Raviraj profile". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 11 November 2006. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013.
45. Arumugam 1997, pp. 169–170.
46. Arumugam 1997, p. 189.
47. "Personalities from the south nurtured in Jaffna". The Island (Sri Lanka). 13 January 2002.
48. Wijenayake, Walter (11 July 2010). "Maithripala Senanayake – an illustrious leader of Sri Lanka". The Island (Sri Lanka).
49. "Veteran Tamil newspaper Editor Sivagurunathan passes away". TamilNet. 9 August 2003.
50. "Veteran journalist Siva dies". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 11 August 2003. Archived from the original on 17 February 2007.
51. Maniccavasagar, Chelvatamby (7 September 2012). "Kalasuri R. Sivagurunathan: A veteran journalist". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 19 June 2013.
52. Arumugam 1997, p. 214.
53. Arumugam 1997, p. 223.
54. Arumugam 1997, p. 224.
55. "One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century: C.J.T.Thamotheram". Tamil Nation.
56. Gunaratne, H. D. (6 May 2012). "Beloved grassroots politician gave his all to the country". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
57. "D B Welagedera : Valiant fighter, fearless patriot". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 22 April 2013.
58. Arumugam 1997, p. 253.

References

• Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF).
• Martyn, John H. (1923). Notes on Jaffna – Chronological, Historical, Biographical (PDF). Tellippalai: American Ceylon Mission Press. ISBN 81-206-1670-7.
• "Principal Events in the Past". St. John's College.

External links

• St. John's College
• Old Boys Association
• Old Boys Association, Sydney, Australia
• Old Boys Association, Victoria, Australia
• Old Boys Association, South Sri Lanka
• Chundikuli St. John's Past Pupils Association, UKA