77th Annual Prize-Giving of St Sylvesters College Kandy
View(s):St Sylvesters College Kandy last week held its 77th Prize-Giving at its Auditorium with Provincial Education Secretary, P.B. Wijeratne as Chief Guest. Among the invitees was the Bishop of Kandy- Rev Vianney Fernando. The Principal, T.E.S. Meetiyagoda and the staff welcomed the Chief Guest on his arrival.
Chief guest, Secretary of Education of the Provincial Council (Central Province) P.B.Wijeratne gives away an award. Principal of the college T.E.S.Meetiyagoda is also present
The College was established by Benedictine Catholic priest Fr Robert M. Perera,who devoted his life for 9 long years to create the necessary environment.
After Fr Robert Perera, the next Principal was D.N.J. Seneviratne in 1949, who took the school to the heights envisaged by Fr Robert Perera, who remained as its Director.
With the demise of Father Robert Perera in 1956, Fr Paulus took over the Directorship. The school was non-fee levying institution attached to the Catholic Church. With time, the school faced difficulties and, in 1961, the Church decided to hand over the school to the Education Dept. In 1961, the Lower school was established on Wariyapola Sumangala Mawatha, in close proximity to the main school. In 1968, Principal Seneviratne left to be appointed as the Director of a Junior University, and was succeeded by Vice Principal K.S. Gunaratne.
From there onwards, the College had illustrious Principals who gave their lives to the College to establish it as a leading school in the Central Province. In 1977, D.B. Nilleoda took over as Principal and served for 35 years, giving his best to the school. On his retirement, Asoka Herath took over the reins, and when he left for Dharmaraja College, G.W. Abeysinghe became the Principal. He left in 2003, when an old boy of the school T.E.S. Meetiyagoda took over the administration of the school.
Having been the Principal of Ampitiya Maha Vidyalaya (Berawetts), and having brought that school to the present level, Meetiyagoda took it upon himself to rally the old boys to his aid and brought the school to its present position, as a school on par with any other in the country.
- Pix & text by L.B. Senaratne