Annually children are enrolled into grade one for the new academic year, and due to the limited number of schools that can satisfy the demanding parental preferences a mighty rush is resulted in school admissions. Following is a guideline for the parents to plan out the admission process of their child:
- There will be a paper advertisement appearing in all Catholic papers, publishing dates of the issuance of applications from the Catholic Private Schools in the Archdiocese of Colombo
- This advertisement will appear in the papers during the month of January every year
- The applications are generally issued by the schools between 15th of February and 15th of April every year
- The applicant and the parents are called for an interview
- Considering the suitability acceptable to the Archdiocesan Education Service, the children are selected.
- The procedure is generally finalized by the 15th of August every year
In Catholic schools the priority and preference is given to Catholic children coming from Good Catholic Families. What qualifies a “Good Catholic Family” needs clarification. The success of a Catholic Education depends on a family environment that practices the Catholic faith in an active manner. This living faith within the Catholic family is vital to correspond with the education imparted in school if the desired effects are to be realized. If what is imparted in school contradicts and conflicts with what the child experiences at home the child will suffer confusion and uncertainty. To keep this possible confusion to the minimum at every intake a family’s active participation in the Parish Church activities is highly regarded as a valid testimony of their living faith. If a family is not involved in the Parish Church activities the aims and the purpose of a Catholic Education is not realized, and such families often than not fall short of meeting the highest expectations of the Church which is the patron of Catholic Education. Hence it is important that the following factors are carefully considered prior to school admissions.
- Getting one’s family registered in a Roman Catholic Parish (Family Book)
- An honest spiritual rapport with the Parish Priest who recommends the family (Parish Priest’s Letter of Recommendation)
- Sacramentalizing the marriage of the parents in the Catholic Church (Baptism Certificates of the parents and the Church Marriage Certificate)
- The Child having started attending the Parish Daham Pasala (Sunday School)
- Family’s active involvement in the Parochial events and associations:
- Parents being members of the Parish Pastoral Council
- Parents working in the pastoral committees of the Parish
- Parents involvement in the Parish Apostolates and Associations
All in all, the family’s involvement in the Parish Community is a vital factor and a goal of an integral Catholic Education. Having had a Catholic education and not serving the faith community in the local Church is not the desired result and the aim of Catholic Education because it violates the principle that “you give back to the community what the community has given to you”. Atheism and anticlericalism should not be the predominant result of a Catholic Education. On the contrary if it happens increasingly as we now see in the behavior of those who have attended the best Catholic Colleges and Convents in the archdiocese, it is a violation of the whole foundational belief system of Catholic Faith and Education. A school’s identity as a Catholic School depends upon how much devout Catholic professional citizens it can produce who would in turn give back in service to humanity and God what they received from the Church and the Nation.
There are six types among Catholic Educational Institutions in Sri Lanka:
- Vested Schools
- Private Schools
- Branch Schools
- International Schools
- Priestly Formation Schools
- Special Education Schools
The Catholic Vested Schools are the schools that were taken over by the government in the year 1960. The Private Schools are the schools that remained with the proprietors to be run without having them vested in the government. The Branch Schools were started as a new venture as extensions of the existing Private Schools.
SCHOOLS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF COLOMBO
SCHOOL | TELEPHONE | GENDER | CATEGORY |
St. Bridget’s Convent (Upper) – Colombo 07 | 112695200 | Girls’ School | Fee-Levying |
St. Bridget’s Convent (Primary) Colombo 07 | 112698505 | Girls’ School | Fee-Levying |
Loyola College, Negombo | 312277258 | Mixed School | Private School |
Loyola College – Negombo, Bopitiya Branch | 1124992626 | Mixed School | Private School |
St. Aloysius Seminary, Borella | 112673866 | Boys’ School | Fee-Levying |
St. Lawrence’s Convent, Colombo 06 | 112581119 | Girls’ School | Private School |
Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura | 382235060 | Girls’ School | Private School |
St. Joseph’s College, Nugegoda | 115299472 | Boys’ School | Private School |
Christ King College, Pannipitiya | 114373795 | Mixed School | Private School |
Christ King College – Pannipitiya, Weliveriya Branch | 332257385 | Mixed School | Private School |
Ave Maria Convent, Negombo | 312227747 | Girls’ School | Private School |
Maris Stella College, Negombo | 312222219 | Boys’ School | Private School |
Maris Stella College – Negombo, Thimbirigaskatuwa Branch | 312227970 | Boys’ School | Private School |
Holy Cross College, Gampaha | 332222540 | Mixed School | Private School |
De Mazenod College, Kandana | 112236295 | Mixed School | Private School |
Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo 13 | 112434210 | Girls’ School | Private School |
St. Benedict’s College, Colombo 13 | 112431025 | Boys’ School | Private School |
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10 | 112698642 | Boys’ School | Private School |
St. Joseph’s College – Colombo 10, Wattala Branch | 112938184 | Boys’ School | Private School |
St. Joseph’s College – Colombo 10, Negombo Branch | 312227020 | Mixed School | Private School |
St. Peter’s College, Colombo 04 | 112588249 | Boys’ School | Private School |
St. Peter’s College – Colombo 04, Gampaha Branch | 332232772 | Boys’ School | Private School |
St. Peter’s College – Colombo 04, Negombo Branch | 312236796 | Mixed School | Private School |
Holy Family Convent, Colombo 04 | 112587261 | Girls’ School | Private School |
Our Lady of Victories Convent, Moratuwa | 112649340 | Girls’ School | Private School |
St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa | 112645245 | Boys’ School | Private School |
Holy Family Convent, Kalutara | 342229064 | Girls’ School | Private School |
Holy Cross College, Kalutara | 342222560 | 342222560 | Private School |
Holy Cross College – Kalutara, Payagala Branch | 342298515 | Boys’ School | Private School |
St. Joseph’s Deaf School, Ragama | 112958330 | Mixed School | Private School |
Bolawalana Ave Maria Convent, Akkarapanaha, Negombo | 312225074 | Girls’ School | Private School |
Holy Angels Girls School, Payagala | 342234062 | Girls’ School | Private School |
St. Thomas’ International College, Seeduwa | 112251440 | Mixed School | International School |
St. Nicholas’ International School, Pelawatta, Battaramulla | 0112787113 | Mixed School | International School |
St. Nicholas’ International School, Negombo | 312221606 | Mixed School | International School |
St. Joseph’s O.M.I Seminary, Kohuwala | 0112852905 | Boys’ School | Fee-Levying |
St. Joseph’s Deaf School, Ragama | 112958330 | Mixed School | Private School |
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ADMINISTERED BY RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS IN SRI LANKA
- Sylvestro-Benedictine Fathers
- St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
- St. Xavier’s College, Nuwara Eliya
- St. Thomas’ College, Matale
- Berraverts’ College, Ampitiya
- St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy
- Apostolic Carmel Sisters
- St. Mary’s College, Trincomalee
- St. Cecilia’s College, Batticaloa
- All Saints’ College, Borella
- Little Flower Convent, Bandarawela
- St. Paul’s Balika Vidyalaya, Kelaniya
- St. Anthony’s Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Colpetty
- Carmel Girls’ College, Chilaw
- Brothers of St. Joseph
- St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna
- St. Anthony’s College, Kayts
- St. Henry’s College, Illavali
- St. John Bosco College, Hatton
- De La Salle Brothers
- St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa
- St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
- St. Anne’s Colleg, Kurunegala
- St. Joseph’s College, Grandpass
- St. Xavier’s College, Mannar
- St. Mary’s Boys’ School, Pettah
- St. Lucia’s College, Kotahena
- St. Andrew’s College, Puttalam
- De La Salle College, Mutwal
- De Mazenod College, Kandana
- St. Mary’s College, Chilaw
- St. Anthony’s College, Wattala
- Archdiocesan Fathers
- Davisamara Vidyalaya, Seeduwa
- St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
- St. Peter’s College, Negombo
- St. Peter’s College, Colombo
- St. Mary’s College, Dehiwela
- St. John’s College, Dematagoda
- Loyola College, Negombo
- Dominican Sisters
- Christ King College, Pannipitiya
- Franciscan Missionaries of Mary
- Our Lady of Victories Convent, Moratuwa
- St. Gabriel’s Convent, Hatton
- Good Shepherd Sisters
- Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo 13
- St. Thomas’ Convent, Matale
- Good Shepherd Convent, Kandy
- St. Lawrence’s Convent, Colombo 06
- St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo 07
- St. Scholastica’s Convent, Kandy
- St. Anne’s Convent, Wattala
- St. Mary Margaret’s Convent, Mutwal
- St. Sebastian’s BMV, Kandana
- Good Shepherd Convent, Nayakakanda
- Ave Maria Convent, Negombo
- St. Anthony’s Girls’ School, Panadura
- Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura
- Holy Angel Sisters
- St. Agnes’ Convent, Balangoda
- Holy Family Sisters
- Holy Family Convent, Jaffna
- Holy Family Convent, Kurunegala
- Holy Family Convent, Anuradhapura
- Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya
- Holy Family Convent, Dehiwela
- Holy Family Convent, Wennappuwa
- Jesuit Fathers
- St. Joseph’s College, Trincomalee
- St. Mary’s College,Kegalle
- St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa
- St. Aloysius’ College, Galle
- St. Servatius’ College, Matara
- St. Aloysius’ College, Ratnapura
- Marist Brothers
- St. Mary’s College, Negombo
- Holy Cross College, Kalutara
- St. Joseph’s College, Bandarawela
- Maris Stella College, Negombo
- St. Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa
- Christ King College, Tudella
- St. Joseph’s College, Nugegoda
- Oblates of Marty Immaculate
- St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
- St. Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura
- St. Peter’s College, Colombo
- Charity Sisters
- Sacred Heart Convent, Galle
- St. Mary’s Conevt, Matara
- St. Joseph’s Convent, Kegalle
- Infant Jesus Conevt, Ratnapura