St. John's College, Jaffna
Encyclopedia
St. John's College (Tamil
:சென். ஜோண்ஸ் கல்லூரி) is a boys
private school in Jaffna
, Sri Lanka
. It was founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries.
The school was renamed St. John's College in 1891. The free education system was introduced by the government in 1945 but SJC chose to remain outside the system. In 1951 SJC joined the free education system. 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.
. Though SJC was started by Christian missionaries, from its early days students from all religious groups — Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists - have studied there, although Christians have had preferential admissions in keeping with the founding principles of the school.
SJC has a notable cricket match ("Big Match", also called the "Battle of the North") when thousands of cricket fans gather to watch the match against Jaffna Central College
.
The Old Boys Association, whose members are found around the world, has built many buildings at the college and has funded the purchase of computers, library books, lab equipment and sports materials.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
:சென். ஜோண்ஸ் கல்லூரி) is a boys
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
private school in Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, 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...
. It was founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries.
History
The Nallur English Seminary was established in March 1823 by Rev. Joseph Knight of the Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church. 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 to school moved into a hall next to the church. The church was demolished in 1859 and replaced by the current church.The school was renamed St. John's College in 1891. The free education system was introduced by the government in 1945 but SJC chose to remain outside the system. In 1951 SJC joined the free education system. 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.
Overview
SJC has an area of 13 acres (52,609.2 m²). It has classes from year one up to the G.C.E. Advanced Level. It is one of the few private schools in Jaffna DistrictJaffna District
Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to...
. Though SJC was started by Christian missionaries, from its early days students from all religious groups — Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists - have studied there, although Christians have had preferential admissions in keeping with the founding principles of the school.
SJC has a notable cricket match ("Big Match", also called the "Battle of the North") when thousands of cricket fans gather to watch the match against Jaffna Central College
Jaffna Central College
Jaffna Central College is a boys public national school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1817 by British Methodist missionaries and is among the oldest of the modern schools in Sri Lanka.-History:...
.
The Old Boys Association, whose members are found around the world, has built many buildings at the college and has funded the purchase of computers, library books, lab equipment and sports materials.