Royal College, Colombo

Royal College
රාජකීය විද්‍යාලය
ரோயல் கல்லூரி
Royal College motto on top of the main building
Address
Rajakeeya Mawatha

Colombo
,
00700

Sri Lanka
Coordinates6°54′18″N 79°51′41″E / 6.90494°N 79.86140°E / 6.90494; 79.86140
Information
Former nameColombo Academy,
Hill Street Academy
School typeNational school
MottoFloreat (Flourish)
Disce aut discede (Learn or depart)
EstablishedJanuary 1835 (January 1835)
FounderJoseph Marsh
Robert Wilmot-Horton
PrincipalAthula Wijewardena
Staff200
Faculty600
Grades1–13
GenderMale
Age range6–19
Enrollment9,000+
Education systemNational Education System
LanguageEnglish, Sinhala and Tamil
Hours in school day07:10–13:10 SLST
Colour(s)Navy blue and royal gold
  
SongSchool of our Fathers
PublicationRoyal College Magazine,
The Royalist
AffiliationMinistry of Education
AlumniOld Royalists
Alumni nameRoyalists
Websiteroyalcollege.lk

Flag of Royal College

Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by 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 country.

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. 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.