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Ferguson High School (Sinhala: ෆර්ගසන් උසස් විද්යාලය) is a National School in Sri Lanka affiliated with the Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya located in Ratnapura District.[1] School has two sections - the Primary section, which serves students from Grade 1 to Grade 5, and the Secondary section, which serves students from Grade 6 to Grade 13.
| Ferguson High School - Ratnapura ෆර්ගසන් උසස් විද්යාලය - රත්නපුර | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| 70000 Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates | 6°40′58″N 80°23′55″E / 6.6827135°N 80.3986365°E |
| Information | |
| Type | National School |
| Motto | Live Pure : Speak True : Right Wrong |
| Established | 1917 March 17 |
| Principal | Mercy Galagama |
| Teaching staff | 180 |
| Grades | 1–13 |
| Gender | Girls (Grade 1-13) Boys (Grade 1-5) |
| Number of students | 4,700 |
| Language | Sinhala , English , Tamil |
| Color(s) | Dark green and silver |
| Alumni | Fergusonites |
| Website | www |
History
edit1917 : Founded as a "Baptist Missionary English School" by the Baptist Missionary Society of British Ceylon. It was started with only three girls, in the premises of Baptist Church in Ratnapura.
1919 : The classroom was moved to the thatched-roofed spacious hall at the hilltop to accommodate the increasing number of 36 students.
1921 : The school was registered as a 'Grant-in-aid English School'[2]
1924 : The school hostel was started.
1925 : Girl Guide Association was pioneered by C. Balasooriya.[3]
1928 : The school known as Baptist Missionary English School was renamed as Ferguson High School in memory Mr. John Ferguson who helped the Baptist Missionary Society in Ceylon.[4]
1932 : The system of school houses was introduced by the acting principal W. F. Gadge.
1933 : The Old Girls Association was initiated by Miss. Allsop.
1958 : School prize giving was held by the Chief guest Madam Sirimavo Bandaranayaka who was a former student of the school.
1960 : Became a Director Managed Government School and no longer a Christian assisted school[5]
1993 : The school was recognized as a National school and 75th Birthday was celebrated with the participation of President Ranasinghe Premadasa
2010 : “Wisdom 2010” educational and Trade exhibition was held.[3]
2017 : 100th anniversary of the school was celebrated with the participation President Maithripala Sirisena. A souvenir stamp was issued[6]
School Crest
editSymbolic Representations
- Motto - Taken from "Idylls of the King" by Lord Tennyson
- Hills - 3 peaks seen from the school (Sri Padha and two attendant peaks)
- Double headed Eagle - High soaring free bird looking back with Thankfulness and looking forward with Hope
- CBC - Ceylon Baptist Council (Founders of School)
- Gems - School houses.
- Lamp - Intelligence
- Book - Knowledge
Drawn by Nalini Gunasekara, the art teacher of the school in 1953 and adopted unanimously[5]
School song
editWritten by Venetia Stemba, with music by Consy Jayasekara[5]
Houses
editStudents are divided into four houses.[5]
| Amethyst | Sincerity | |
|---|---|---|
| Garnet | Fraternity | |
| Ruby | Serenity | |
| Sapphire | Purity |
Sports
editClubs and extracurricular activities
editPrincipals
edit| Period | Name |
|---|---|
| 1917-1922 | J.D. Radley |
| 1922 - 1949 | Evelyn A. Allsop |
| 1949 - 1960 | F. Aurora Brook |
| 1956 - 1971 | Pearl Bright Perera |
| 1972 - 1974 | Malini Wijenayake |
| 1974 - 1975 | Mallika Thambiah |
| 1976 - 1980 | Pearl Bright Perera |
| 1981 - 1982 | Buddhi Bamunusinghe |
| 1983 - 1986 | S. Subasinghe |
| 1987 - 1995 | Buddhi Bamunusinghe |
| 1995 - 1999 | Malani Kothalawala |
| 2000 - 2003 | B. Rani Dariju |
| 2003 | U. V. Leelakanthi Nissanka |
| 2004 - 2012 | B. V. R. C. Bandarawatta |
| 2012 to present | Mercy Galagama |
Notable alumni
editPast pupils of Ferguson High School Ratnapura are called Fergusonites.[5] Following is a list of some notable alumni:
| Name | Notability |
|---|---|
| Sirimavo Bandaranayaka[11] | Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960 - 1965, 1970 - 1977, 1994 - 2000) - world's first non-hereditary female head of government in modern history |
| Thalatha Atukorale[12] | Politician, Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka |
| Rosy Senanayake | Politician, Mayor of Colombo, Mrs. World 1984 |
References
edit- ^ "Educational Data and Information" (PDF). Ministry of Education. Sri Lanka. 2017.
- ^ "100 years of outstanding performance". Sunday Observer. 26 March 2017.
- ^ a b c "The History of Ferguson High school". FERGUSON HIGH SCHOOL-1992 GROUP.
- ^ "History". Ferguson High School. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Memoirs of a Century ෆර්ගසන් සුභාවිතය. ISBN 9789557353005.
- ^ "Schoolchildren have responsibility to win the next century – President". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "Chess winner". Sunday Times. 7 August 2016.
- ^ "Home". www.fergusonhighschool.net. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
- ^ Vidu Liya. Science Association of Ferguson High School. 2004.
- ^ Twitter page @Ferguson_Astro. Astronomical Association of Ferguson High school.
- ^ "World's 1st Female Prime Minister | 17 April 1916 - Birth of Sirimavo Ratwatte". Sirimavo Bandaranaike | The World's First Female Prime Minister. 1916-04-17. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "The Island". www.island.lk. Retrieved 2020-03-31.