D. S. Senanayake College

{{EngvarB|date=February 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox school

| name = D. S. Senanayake College

| native_name = {{Lang|si|ඩී.ඇස්.සේනානායක විද්‍යාලයය}}
{{Lang|ta|டி.எஸ் சேனாநாயக்க கல்லூரி}}

| logo = D. S. Senanayake College crest.png

| logo_size = 150px

| image = Ds entrance.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Front entrance to the school

| motto = {{Langx|si|තමාට පෙර රට}}

| motto_translation = Country Before Self

| address = No 62, R. G. Senanayake Mawatha, Cinnamon Gardens

| city = Colombo, Western Province

| province = Western Province

| postcode = 00700

| country = Sri Lanka

| coordinates = {{Coord|6|54|30|N|79|52|29|E|display=inline,title}}

| other_names = {{Hlist|DS|DSSC}}

| former_name =

| schooltype = Government School

| type = National school 1AB

| religious_affiliation =

| established = {{Start date|1967|02|10|df=yes}}

| district = Colombo

| authority =

| oversight =

| principal = Sampath Weragoda

| teaching_staff = 284

| grades = 1-13

| gender = Male

| age_range = 6 -19

| enrolment = 6000 - 8000

| medium_of_language = {{Hlist|Sinhalese|Tamil|English}}

| hours_in_day = 07:30 - 13:30

| campus_size =

| campus_type =

| houses = {{Unbulleted list|{{Color box|Blue}} Shura|{{Color box|Green}} Meththa|{{Color box|Red}} Weera|{{Color box|Purple}} Shantha}}

| colours = {{ubl | Black and gold | {{Color box|Black}}{{Color box|Gold}}}}

| song = "Sip Satha Sis Wetha"

| accreditation =

| newspaper = Siyapatha

| yearbook =

| affiliation =

| website = {{URL|dssenanayakecollege.lk}}

| footnotes =

}}

D. S. Senanayake College ({{Langx|si|ඩී.ඇස්.සේනානායක විද්‍යාලය}}; {{Langx|ta|டி.எஸ் சேனாநாயக்க கல்லூரி}}; also referred to as DS and DSSC) is a boys' primary and secondary national school in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It was established on 10 February 1967 with R. I. T. Alles as the founding principal,{{cite news|author=Shanika Perera |url=http://sundaytimes.lk/100801/Education/ed09.html |title=D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo - A leader in every way |publisher=Sunday Times |date=August 1, 2010 |access-date=2014-02-18}}{{Cite web|url=http://dsscoba.com/|title=D.S.Senanayake College OBA - dsscoba.com|website=D S Senanayake CollegeOld Boys' Association}}{{primary source inline|date=January 2023}} and was named after the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, D. S. Senanayake.

It provides education from Grades 1 to 13 in Sinhalese, Tamil and English languages. It is the second-largest multi-ethnic school in the country. Its street name was formerly known as Gregory Road but was renamed to R. G. Senanayake Mawatha in 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2013/07/16/local/president-renames-gregorys-road-rgsenanayake-mawatha|title=President renames Gregory's Road as R. G. Senanayake Mawatha|newspaper=Daily News|date=16 July 2013|access-date=23 February 2017}}

History

In 1965, the number of requests to admit children into the Royal College Primary had become excessive. Thus the Minister of Education I. M. R. A. Iriyagolla took the initiative to build a new school in Cinnamon Gardens on the lines of Royal College, Colombo.{{cite news |author=Bogoda Premaratne |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/10/04/news34.asp |title=Success story of an educator |publisher=Sri Lanka News {{pipe}} Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers |date=2007-10-04 |access-date=2014-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422035633/http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/10/04/news34.asp |archive-date=22 April 2012 |url-status=dead }} In 1967, Minister Iriyagolla began the ground work for establishing the school. It was named after D. S. Senanayake, who was the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) after gaining independence. R. I. T. Alles, an assistant principal at Royal College became the head teacher of the new school. The location in which the college stands today was at that time called the Kumbikale jungle.{{cite news |author=Sunalie Ratnayake |url=http://tamilweek.com/news-features/archives/243 |title=D.S. Senanayake College -unity in diversity |department=History |work=Tamil Week |date=2006-04-01 |access-date=2014-02-18}}

As a resolution the Ministry of Education had taken a decision to increase the number of primary schools, to meet with the increasing demand of parents enrolling their children to Colombo schools. The secretary of the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, M. J. Perera, was assigned to find a suitable plot of land to start the new school. Accordingly, the empty plot of land situated down the Gregory's road normally "Kubi Kelle" adjoining Kinsy road was selected for the purpose with another land bounded the said premises which belonged to the Ministry of Defense and also was acquired building plans were prepared and implemented by the state engineering co - operation.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

Alles who had been an assistant teacher at Royal College had been appointed as the principal of D. S. Senanayake College. He was helped by the principal of Royal College, B. Premarathne. The cadet platoon of the Royal College also cleaned the land holding a shramadana. Five assistant teachers and office equipment were donated by the Royal College.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

Principals

class="wikitable"

! Name

! Tenure

R. I. T. Alles

|1967 - 1982

P. Samaranayake

|1982 - 1984

S. M. A. J. A. Mayadunne

|1984 - 1989

R. I. T. Alles

|1989 - 1992

Somabandhu Kodikara

|1992 - 1995

G. C. Adikari

|1995 - 1999

Asoka Senani Hewage

|1999 - 2010

D. M. D. Dissanayake

|2010 - 2016

R. M. M. Rathnayake

|2016 - 2020

Prasanna Upashantha

|2020 - 2023

Sampath Weragoda

|2023–present

Hostel

{{unreferenced section|date=January 2023}}

The school has a hostel which provides accommodation to over 200 students. The hostel was opened in January 2003 by the Minister of Education, Karunasena Kodituwakku. The students were admitted to the hostel for the first time in February 2003.

Notable alumni

{{See also|Category:Alumni of D. S. Senanayake College}}

class="wikitable sortable"
NameNotabilityReferences
{{sortname|Asoka|Abeygunawardana}}electrical engineer, environmentalist and social activist
{{sortname|Anuradha Dullewe|Wijeyeratne}}Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councillor (1988–1993), acting Diyawadana Nilame, Temple of the Tooth (1975–2005)
{{sortname|Aravinda|de Silva}}international cricket player (1984–2003)
{{sortname|Aloka|Pathirana}}Surgeon and academic
{{sortname|Asanka Shehan|Semasinghe}}Member of parliament – Anuradhapura Electoral District (2010–2024){{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.lk/members-of-parliament/directory-of-members/viewMember/3151|title=Parliament of Sri Lanka - Shehan Semasinghe|website=www.parliament.lk|language=en-gb|access-date=12 January 2019}}
{{sortname|Binura|Fernando}}international cricket player (2015–present)
{{sortname|Chathuranga|Kodithuwakku}}actor, model{{cite web|url=https://ceylondaily.com/%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%92%E0%B7%84%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%92-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%AF%E0%B7%90%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A-%E0%B6%B4%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B1%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%BA/|title=Making a bitter experience to a success - Chathuranga Lakshan Kodithuwakku|publisher=Ceylon Daily|access-date=15 August 2020|archive-date=31 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531041401/https://ceylondaily.com/%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%92%E0%B7%84%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%92-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%AF%E0%B7%90%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8A-%E0%B6%B4%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B1%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%BA/|url-status=dead}}
{{sortname|Damitha|Thotawatta}}Judge of the Court of Appeal (since 2024)[https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=101770 President appoints new judges to Court of Appeal]
{{sortname|Hashan|Tillakaratne}}international cricket player (1986–2004)
{{sortname|Isuru|Udana}}international cricket player (2009–present)
{{sortname|Jagath|Gunawardena}}Major General, Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army (2020–present)
{{sortname|Kosala|Kuruppuarachchi}}international cricket player (1986–1987)
{{sortname|Lahiru|Perera}}singer, musician, music producer
{{sortname|Lahiru|Mudalige}}Presenter
{{sortname|Naveed|Nawaz}}international cricket player (1998–2002)
{{sortname|Prasanna|Vithanage}}filmmaker{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
{{sortname|Priyanka|Fernando}}Major General, General Officer Commanding of the 58 Division (2020–present){{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
{{sortname|Pubudu|Dassanayake}}international cricket player (1993–1994)
{{sortname|Pulasthi|Gunaratne}}cricketer 2002 - 2003{{cn|date=June 2024}}
Premnath C. Dolawatte

|Attorney-at-Law, Member of Parliament - Colombo (2020 - 2024), and LGBT+ rights advocate

|{{Cite web |title=Parliament of Sri Lanka - Premnath C. Dolawatte, Attorney at Law |url=https://www.parliament.lk/en/component/members/viewMember/3341?Itemid=206 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=www.parliament.lk |language=en-gb}}

{{sortname|Tuan Nizam|Muthaliff}} {{KIA}}Colonel, former Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Military Intelligence Corps (2004–2005)
{{sortname|Udaya|Gammanpila}}Member of parliament – Colombo Electoral District (2015–2024)
{{sortname|Udara|Rathnayake}}Western Provincial Councillor (2014–present)

References

{{Reflist}}