Wesley College – 150 years of excellence

A school is as sacred as a religious sanctum. For within its walls her students not only learn about academics but also all the skills and attitudes one needs to lead a dignified life. Wesley College stands as a radiant beacon among the leading colleges in Colombo, for faithfully sustaining this blessed experience of a holistic education. It is an amazing school where the bonds of friendship exceed the perimeters of the classroom and remain for a lifetime.

Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira goes down in history as the prudent academic who prayerfully established Wesley College. He thoughtfully gave the school a fitting motto” Ora et Labora”- meaning pray and labour on. For when life’s challenges assail, prayer is a divine source of comfort and strength. We commemorate the memory of our Founder, with great reverence and gratitude, annually on Founder’s Day. No doubt the dedicated labour of the Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira – a zealous servant of God – has accumulated a rich harvest of which we, in this present age, are beneficiaries. Wesley College will extend this blissful harvest for generations to come, molding men of grit and integrity.

The Methodist Church in Pettah is an iconic vintage. The building has been formally recognised by the Government of Sri Lanka as a protected archaeological monument as declared on 17 May 2013 by Government Gazette No 1811. Within the once busy area of a developing Colombo city, the church met the spiritual needs of many, including foreign parishioners. The building complex comprised a chapel, a dwelling house for two families, a large schoolroom, printing and bookbinding offices, a type foundry and warehouses. It was in the schoolroom here, on 02 March 1874 that the first classes of Wesley College were held, blessed by divine providence and grace. Long before the end of the 19th century, the buildings at Dam Street were becoming inadequate for the purpose of a progressive educational institution. The numbers were swelling and more space was needed. Parents began talking about the Methodist Church school that was doing well in every sphere of education. Incidentally the concept of School Cadets was started within Wesley for the first time in vintage Ceylon.

Revd. Highfield earnestly began to look for a more spacious property in the precincts of Colombo. In 1902 a site of five and half acres at Karlsruhe on the west side of Baseline Road close to Campbell Park was duly acquired. Five years later, in February 1907, the new premises of Wesley College was declared opened by the Governor of Ceylon Sir Henry and Lady Blake.

Over the past century and a half, Wesley College has made tremendous progress in academics and sports. She has produced distinguished old boys, and among them are the famous five men who were knighted by Her Majesty the Queen. Today the college diligently continues her journey with renewed hope and relentless inspiration, to carry forward the goal of reaching greater heights. The college is supported by it local and international fraternity of faithful old boys associations, who work for the development of their alma mater. Wesley College is making many plans to celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2024.