S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia

S. Thomas' College
College Quadrangle
Location
Map
Hotel Road, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

Colombo
,
Western Province

Coordinates6°50′14.64″N 79°51′54.12″E / 6.8374000°N 79.8650333°E / 6.8374000; 79.8650333
Information
Former namesCollege of St. Thomas the Apostle
S. Thomas' College, Mutwal
TypePrivate
MottoLatin: Esto perpetua
(Be Thou Forever)
Religious affiliation(s)Christianity
DenominationAnglican
Patron saint(s)St. Thomas
Established3 February 1851; 173 years ago (3 February 1851)
FounderJames Chapman
Visitor to the CollegeDushantha Lakshman Rodrigo
WardenMarc Billimoria
Sub-WardenAsanka Perera
ChaplainSamuel Ponniah
Grades1 - 14
(including a nursery for children of Old Boys)
GenderMale
Age2 to 19
Enrollment2,800
Education systemNational Education System
Pearson Edexcel
LanguageEnglish, Sinhala, Tamil
Hours in school day07:25 - 13:30
Campus typeSuburban
Colour(s)Blue and black
  
SongThomian Song
AthleticsYes
SportsYes
NicknameThora
NewspaperThe Ternion
YearbookThe College Magazine
AffiliationAnglican Church of Ceylon
Brother schools
Former pupilsOld Thomians
Websitestcmount.edu.lk

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.