| S. Thomas' College | |
|---|---|
 | |
 College Quadrangle | |
| Location | |
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Hotel Road, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Colombo , Western Province | |
| Coordinates | 6°50′14.64″N 79°51′54.12″E / 6.8374000°N 79.8650333°E |
| Information | |
| Former names | College of St. Thomas the Apostle S. Thomas' College, Mutwal |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Latin: Esto perpetua (Be Thou Forever) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Patron saint(s) | St. Thomas |
| Established | 3 February 1851 |
| Founder | James Chapman |
| Visitor to the College | Dushantha Lakshman Rodrigo |
| Warden | Marc Billimoria |
| Sub-Warden | Asanka Perera |
| Chaplain | Samuel Ponniah |
| Grades | 1 - 14 (including a nursery for children of Old Boys) |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 2 to 19 |
| Enrollment | 2,800 |
| Education system | National Education System Pearson Edexcel |
| Language | English, Sinhala, Tamil |
| Hours in school day | 07:25 - 13:30 |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Colour(s) | Blue and black |
| Song | Thomian Song |
| Athletics | Yes |
| Sports | Yes |
| Nickname | Thora |
| Newspaper | The Ternion |
| Yearbook | The College Magazine |
| Affiliation | Anglican Church of Ceylon |
| Brother schools | |
| Former pupils | Old Thomians |
| Website | stcmount |
S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia (abbreviated as STC), is a fee-levying Anglican selective entry boys' private school in Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by James Chapman, the first Anglican Bishop of Colombo, in 1851, it was founded as a college and cathedral for the new Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon, modelled on British Public school tradition. An old boy of Eton College, Bishop Chapman founded the college on the Etonian model, the school's motto of Esto perpetua being derived from that of Eton College.
Following the public school tradition, S. Thomas' College is a partial boarding school, with some pupils living at the school seven days a week, and others residing in Day houses. Having been founded in 1851, it is among the oldest schools in Sri Lanka.
With a student body of approximately 2,800, S. Thomas' is considered as one of the most prestigious schools in Sri Lanka;[according to whom?] a factor leading to its competitive rivalry with Royal College, Colombo. This rivalry has led to a Royal–Thomian tradition with the annual Royal-Thomian Big Match, the Royal-Thomian Rugby Match, the Royal-Thomian Water Polo Matches, and the Royal Thomian Regatta.
The college has educated prime ministers, world leaders, sportsmen and Booker Prize winners. Alumni of S. Thomas' College are referred to as Old Thomians, and include D. S. Senanayake, the first prime minister of Ceylon, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and two other prime ministers. Many of the prominent leaders of the independence movement in the early twentieth century were educated at the college. These include Leslie Goonewardene, who founded Sri Lanka's first political party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and N. M. Perera, who served as leader of the opposition and the first Trotskyist to become a cabinet minister.