Jaffna Central College

Jaffna Central College யாழ்ப்பாணம் மத்திய கல்லூரி
In gloriam Dei optimi maximi Unto the glory of God, the best and the highest
Address
Rajendra Prasath Road Jaffna, Jaffna District, Northern Province Sri Lanka
Coordinates
Information
School type	Public national 1AB
Founded	1817
Founder	Rev. James Lynch Rev. Thomas Squance
School district	Jaffna Education Zone
Authority	Ministry of Education
School number	1001002
Principal	S. K. Elilventhan
Teaching staff	124
Grades	1-13
Gender	Boys
Age range	5-18
Language	Tamil, English
Slogan	Central's flag must never be lowered
School roll	2,130
Website	jcc.lk

Jaffna Central College (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம் மத்திய கல்லூரி Yāḻppāṇam Mattiya Kallūri, JCC) is a national school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1817 by British Methodist missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools.

History

In 1813 the Methodist's British Conference approved the establishment of missions in Ceylon, Java and the Cape of Good Hope. On 30 December 1813 Dr Coke, seven missionaries (William Ault, Benjamin Clough, George Erskine, Martin Harvard, James Lynch, Thomas H. Squance) and two of the missionaries' wives left Portsmouth and sailed to Ceylon. Mrs Ault and Dr. Coke died on the journey. When the arrived in Bombay they had little money but they were helped by Governor Evan Nepean and W. T. Money, a merchant. Five of the missionaries (Ault, Clough, Erskine, Lynch and Squance) sailed from Bombay on 20 June 1814 and arrived in Galle on the south coast of Ceylon on 29 June 1814. On 11 July 1814 the missionaries gathered together to decide who would be stationed where - Lynch and Squance were to go to Jaffna in the north; Ault was to go to Batticaloa in the east; Erskine was to go to Matara in the south; and Clough was to remain in Galle. Clough was later joined by Harvard and his wife. Lynch and Squance left Galle on 14 July 1814 and arrived in Jaffna on 10 August 1814 where they established the Wesleyan Methodist Mission, North Ceylon.

On 1 August 1816 the mission purchased from the government the former orphanage situated opposite the esplanade in Jaffna. In 1817 the Jaffna Wesleyan English School was founded with Rev. Lynch as principal. The school transferred to the Vembadi site in 1825. The school was renamed Jaffna Central School in 1834 by the then principal Rev. Dr. Peter Percival. In the same year a separate girls school was established which was renamed Vembadi Girls’ High School in 1897. JCC prospered, becoming affiliated to Madras University (1869) and Calcutta University (1897).

In 1945 JCC started providing free education. Most private schools in Ceylon, including JCC, were taken over by the government in 1960. In 1994 JCC became a national school.

JCC's principal Kanapathy Rajadurai was shot dead on 12 October 2005 in Jaffna.

Crest

JCC's crest and colours were introduced in 1901 by Romaine Cooke, the then vice-principal. The lower arc of the crest contains JCC's moto: In gloriam Dei optimi maximi (Unto the glory of God, the best and the highest). The key symbolises JCC being an instrument that unlocks those leading to knowledge. The yarl symbolises JCC's host city Jaffna. The rising sun symbolises the light of learning that radiates from JCC.

Big Match

Main article: Battle of the North (cricket match)

JCC play St. John's College, Jaffna in an annual cricket match known as the Battle of the North or the Battle of the Blues. The first match took place in 1904.

Principals

• 1816 Rev. James Lynch
• 1819 Rev. James Lynch
• 1820-24 Rev. Robert Carver
• 1825 Rev. Joseph Roberts
• 1834-51 Rev. Dr. Peter Percival
• 1852-54 Rev. John Walton
• 1855 Rev. William Barber
• 1859-61 Rev. William Talbot
• 1862-66 Rev. John Mitchell
• 1867-70 Rev. John O. Rhodes
• 1870-72 Rev. D.P. Niles (acting)
• 1873-74 Rev. Samuel R. Wilkin
• 1874-76 Rev. William R. Winston
• 1877-78 Edward Strutt
• 1879-81 Fredrick M. Webster
• 1882 Thomas Little
• 1883 William J. G. Bestall
• 1884 Joseph West
• 1885-86 Rev. A. E. Restarick
• 1886-87 Rev. D. P. Niles (acting)
• 1888-89 Rev. Sheldon Knapp
• 1890 Rev. E. Middleton Weaver
• 1891-93 Rev. W. T. Garret
• 1894-95 Rev. Gabriel Leese
• 1896-98 Rev. W. T. Garret
• 1899 Rev. George B. Robeson (acting)
• 1900 Rev. E. O. Martin
• 1901 Rev. Arthur Lockwood
• 1901-03 Rev. W. T. Garret
• 1903-08 Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes
• 1908-10 Rev. H. A. Meek
• 1910-16 Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes
• 1916 Rev. E. T. Selby (acting)
• 1917-21 Rev. Harold Bullough
• 1921 Rev. H.R. Cornish (acting)
• 1922-26 Rev. Percy T. Cash
• 1927 J. K. Chanmukam (acting)
• 1928-32 Rev. Percy T. Cash
• 1933 R. J. Seal (acting)
• 1934-39 Rev. Percy T. Cash
• 1940-42 R. S. D. Williams
• 1943-44 J. W. Arudpragasam
• 1945-55 Rev. C. A. Smith
• 1949 J. C. Charles (acting)
• 1956-62 Rev. Dr. D. T. Niles
• 1962-64 A. E. Tamber
• 1964-71 E. Sabalingam
• 1971-80 E. K. Shanmuganathan
• 1980-82 N. S. Rathinasingham
• 1983-90 V. Balasuntharam
• 1990 N. Rasaratnam
• 1990-96 N. K. Shanmuganathapillai
• 1996 S. Sivanrooban (acting)
• 1996-05 K. Rajadurai
• 2006-08 S. Pathmanathan (acting)
• 2009- L. Ongaramoorthy
• S. K. Elilventhan

Alumni

• V. Appapillai - Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
• S. Arulkumaran - Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, St George's, University of London
• K. S. Arulnandhy - Deputy Director of Education
• J. N. Arumugam - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport & Works
• Kumariah Balasubramaniam - professor
• V. Buvanendran - Professor of Veterinary Science
• A. Canagaratnam - Member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon for Northern Province South
• P. Chandrasegaram - Professor of Education
• J. K. Chanmukam - Vice Principal of Jaffna Central College
• Douglas Devananda - Tamil militant, government minister, Member of Parliament for Jaffna District, leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party
• S. Dharmapalan - Government Agent for Jaffna District
• Waithilingam Duraiswamy - Speaker of the State Council of Ceylon
• Yogendra Duraiswamy - diplomat
• Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam - Olympic athlete
• Saba Jeyarajah - professor
• A. W. Mailvaganam - Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Ceylon
• M. A. Abdul Majeed - Deputy Minister, Member of Parliament
• K. V. Nadarajah - Member of Parliament for Bandarawela
• Arumuka Navalar - Hindu revivalist
• V. N. Navaratnam - Member of Parliament for Chavakachcheri
• V. C. Motilal Nehru - President's Counsel
• D. T. Niles - President of the Ceylon Methodist Conference
• Jaya Pathirana - Member of Parliament for Kurunegala; Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
• S. C. Paul - leading surgeon
• S. A. Raheem - Member of Parliament for Mannar, High Commissioner
• J. M. Rajaratnam - Vice President of Singer Company
• E. V. Ratnam - surgeon, Member of Colombo Municipal Council
• Visvanathan Rudrakumaran - Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
• A. Sabapathy - Member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
• Poopalapillai Sangaravel - Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance & Development, Secretary of the University College, Batticaloa, Additional Government Agent
• Nevins Selvadurai - Member of the State Council of Ceylon for Kayts
• N. Shanmugarajah - General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board
• C. Sittampalam - government minister, Member of Parliament for Mannar
• Kanagaratnam Sriskandan - Chief Highway Engineer for the Department for Transport, UK
• P. Sriskandarajah - Judge, Supreme Court of Ceylon
• Robin Tampoe - filmmaker
• H. D. Thambiah - Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
• H. W. Thambiah - Judge, Supreme Court of Ceylon, High Commissioner
• Vincent Thamotheram - Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
• Daniel Thiagarajah - Church of South India Bishop of Jaffna
• J. Thiviyanathan - Member of Parliament for Ampara District

See also

• List of schools in Northern Province, Sri Lanka

External links

• jcc.lk
• jaffnacentral.sch.lk
• Old Boys' Association (Jaffna)
• Old Boys' Association (Colombo)
• Old Boys' Association Sydney (Australia)
• Old Boys' Association (Canada)
• Old Boys' Association (UK)