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. 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 | |
|---|---|
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| 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
1917 : 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'
1924 : The school hostel was started.
1925 : Girl Guide Association was pioneered by C. Balasooriya.
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.
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
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.
2017 : 100th anniversary of the school was celebrated with the participation President Maithripala Sirisena. A souvenir stamp was issued
School Crest
Symbolic 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
School song
Written by Venetia Stemba, with music by Consy Jayasekara
Houses
Students are divided into four houses.
| Amethyst | Sincerity | |
|---|---|---|
| Garnet | Fraternity | |
| Ruby | Serenity | |
| Sapphire | Purity |
Sports
- Athletics
- Chess
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Karate
- Swimming
- Netball
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Cricket
- Badminton
Clubs and extracurricular activities
- Girl Guide Association
- Science Association
- Drama club
- Media club
- Photography club
- Announcing club
- Chess club
- Astronomical Association
Principals
| 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
Past pupils of Ferguson High School Ratnapura are called Fergusonites. Following is a list of some notable alumni:
| Name | Notability |
|---|---|
| Sirimavo Bandaranayaka | 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 | Politician, Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka |
| Rosy Senanayake | Politician, Mayor of Colombo, Mrs. World 1984 |