# Jaffna Central College

Jaffna Central College (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம் மத்திய கல்லூரி Yāḻppāṇam Mattiya Kallūri, JCC) is a national school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1816 by British Methodist missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools.

## History

In 1813 the Methodist's British Conference approved the establishment of missions in Ceylon, Java and the Cape of Good Hope. On 30 December 1813 Dr Thomas Coke, seven missionaries (William Ault, Benjamin Clough, George Erskine, Martin Harvard, James Lynch, Thomas H. Squance) and two of the missionaries' wives left Portsmouth and sailed to Ceylon. Mrs Ault and Coke died on the journey. When the arrived in Bombay they had little money but they were helped by Governor Evan Nepean and W. T. Money, a merchant. Five of the missionaries (Ault, Clough, Erskine, Lynch and Squance) sailed from Bombay on 20 June 1814 and arrived in Galle on the south coast of Ceylon on 29 June 1814. On 11 July 1814 the missionaries gathered together to decide who would be stationed where – Lynch and Squance were to go to Jaffna in the north; Ault was to go to Batticaloa in the east; Erskine was to go to Matara in the south; and Clough was to remain in Galle. Clough was later joined by Harvard and his wife. Lynch and Squance left Galle on 14 July 1814 and arrived in Jaffna on 10 August 1814 where they established the Wesleyan Methodist Mission, North Ceylon.
On 1 August 1816 the mission purchased from the government the former orphanage situated opposite the esplanade in Jaffna. In the period of 1816 - 1817 the Jaffna Wesleyan English School was founded with Rev. Lynch as principal. The school transferred to the Vembadi site in 1825. The school was renamed Jaffna Central School in 1834 by the then principal Rev. Dr. Peter Percival. In the same year a separate girls school was established which was renamed Vembadi Girls' High School in 1897. JCC prospered, becoming affiliated to Madras University (1869) and Calcutta University (1897).
In 1945 JCC started providing free education. Most private schools in Ceylon, including JCC, were taken over by the government in 1960. In 1994 JCC became a national school.
JCC's principal Kanapathy Rajadurai was shot dead on 12 October 2005 in Jaffna.

## Crest

JCC's crest and colours were introduced in 1901 by Romaine Cooke, the then vice-principal. The lower arc of the crest contains JCC's moto: In gloriam Dei optimi maximi (Unto the glory of God, the best and the highest). The key symbolises JCC being an instrument that unlocks those leading to knowledge. The yarl symbolises JCC's host city Jaffna. The rising sun symbolises the light of learning that radiates from JCC.

## Big Match

JCC play St. John's College, Jaffna in an annual cricket match known as the Battle of the North or the Battle of the Blues. The first match took place in 1904. No matches were played in 1948, 1961, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1997. The 1967 match was abandoned due to bad weather. The schools played two matches in 1904, 1908, 1909, 1918, 1919, 1921 and 1922. Central won the 1904 match but it wasn't until 1908 that St. John's won a match.

## Academic staff
### Principals

* 1816 Rev. James Lynch
* 1819 Rev. James Lynch
* 1820–24 Rev. Robert Carver
* 1825 Rev. Joseph Roberts
* 1834–51 Rev. Dr. Peter Percival
* 1852–54 Rev. John Walton
* 1855 Rev. William Barber
* 1859–61 Rev. William Talbot
* 1862–66 Rev. John Mitchell
* 1867–70 Rev. John O. Rhodes
* 1870–72 Rev. D.P. Niles (acting)
* 1873–74 Rev. Samuel R. Wilkin
* 1874–76 Rev. William R. Winston
* 1877–78 Edward Strutt
* 1879–81 Fredrick M. Webster
* 1882 Thomas Little
* 1883 William J. G. Bestall
* 1884 Joseph West
* 1885–86 Rev. A. E. Restarick
* 1886–87 Rev. D. P. Niles (acting)
* 1888–89 Rev. Sheldon Knapp
* 1890 Rev. E. Middleton Weaver
* 1891–93 Rev. W. T. Garret
* 1894–95 Rev. Gabriel Leese
* 1896–98 Rev. W. T. Garret
* 1899 Rev. George B. Robeson (acting)
* 1900 Rev. E. O. Martin
* 1901 Rev. Arthur Lockwood
* 1901–03 Rev. W. T. Garret
* 1903–08 Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes
* 1908–10 Rev. H. A. Meek
* 1910–16 Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes
* 1916 Rev. E. T. Selby (acting)
* 1917–21 Rev. Harold Bullough
* 1921 Rev. H.R. Cornish (acting)
* 1922–26 Rev. Percy T. Cash
* 1927 J. K. Chanmukam (acting)
* 1928–32 Rev. Percy T. Cash
* 1933 R. J. Seal (acting)
* 1934–39 Rev. Percy T. Cash
* 1940–42 R. S. D. Williams
* 1943–44 J. W. Arudpragasam
* 1945–55 Rev. C. A. Smith
* 1949 J. C. Charles (acting)
* 1956–62 Rev. Dr. D. T. Niles
* 1962–64 A. E. Tamber
* 1964–71 E. Sabalingam
* 1971–80 E. K. Shanmuganathan
* 1980–82 N. S. Rathinasingham
* 1983–90 V. Balasuntharam
* 1990 N. Rasaratnam
* 1990–96 N. K. Shanmuganathapillai
* 1996 S. Sivanrooban (acting)
* 1996–05 K. Rajadurai
* 2006–08 S. Pathmanathan (acting)
* 2009–11 L. Ongaramoorthy
* 2011–23 S. K. Elilventhan
* 2023–2024 S. Indrakumar (acting)
* 2024–present C. S. R. Selvagunalan

## Notable alumni

| Name | Notability |
| V. Appapillai | physicist, dean – Faculty of Science University of Ceylon (1970–1979) |
| Sabaratnam Arulkumaran | physician, president Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2007–2010), president International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (2012–2015), president British Medical Association (2013–2014) |
| K. S. Arulnandhy | teacher, academic, deputy director of Education (1946–1950) |
| J. N. Arumugam | Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Transport and Works |
| A. Canagaratnam | member Legislative Council – Northern Province South (1924–1930) |
| Douglas Devananda | member parliament – Jaffna (1994–present) |
| Waithilingam Duraiswamy | member State Council of Ceylon – Kayts (1936–1947), Legislative Council – Northern Province West (1924–1930), Northern Province (1921–1924) |
| Yogendra Duraiswamy | Government Agent – Jaffna (1979–1982) |
| Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam | athlete (1952 Olympics, 1956 Olympics, 1958 Commonwealth Games, 1954 Asian Games, 1958 Asian Games (gold medalist – high jump)) |
| K. Kanag-Isvaran | lawyer and President's Counsel |
| A. W. Mailvaganam | Dean – Faculty of Science University of Ceylon (1948–1954) |
| M. A. Abdul Majeed | member parliament – Pottuvil (1960–1977), Sammanthurai (1977–1988), National List (1989–1994) |
| K. V. Nadarajah | member parliament – Bandarawela (1947–1952) |
| Arumuka Navalar | Hindu revivalist |
| V. N. Navaratnam | member parliament – Chavakachcheri (1956–1983) |
| D. T. Niles | pastor, evangelist, president Ceylon Methodist Conference (1964–1970) |
| Jaya Pathirana | member parliament – Kurunegala (1961–1965), Supreme Court Judage (1972–1978) |
| S. C. Paul | surgeon |
| S. A. Raheem | member parliament – Mannar (1974–1977) |
| J. M. Rajaratnam | Vice President Singer Company |
| Visvanathan Rudrakumaran | Prime Minister Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam |
| A. Sabapathy | member Legislative Council (1917–1921) |
| Nevins Selvadurai | member State Council (1934–1935) |
| N. Shanmugarajah | general manager Ceylon Electricity Board |
| C. Sittampalam | member parliament – Mannar (1947–1956) |
| Kanagaratnam Sriskandan | Chief Highway Engineer Department for Transport (UK) |
| P. Sriskandarajah | Supreme Court Judge (1962–1967) |
| Sivaguru S. Sritharan | Former vice chancellor at the Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences |
| Alagu Subramaniam | writer, a prominent figure in London's Bloomsbury literary circle, a Barrister-at-Law of The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. |
| A. R. Surendran | President's Counsel |
| Suthan Suthersan | Environmental engineer |
| Robin Tampoe | filmmaker |
| Herbert Thambiah | Chief Justice (1991), Supreme Court Judge (1984–1992) |
| Henry Thambiah | Supreme Court Judge (1960–1972) |
| Vincent Thamotheram | Supreme Court Judge (1970–1980) |
| Daniel Thiagarajah | Bishop of Jaffna (2006–present) |
| J. Thiviyanathan | member parliament – Ampara (1989–1984) |
| K. M. Chellappah | Founder of Jaffna public library |