Royal College Principal tenders apology

6 March 2025 07:00 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 22 Bookmark

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Colombo, March 6 (Daily Mirror) - Principal of Royal College Colombo L.W.K. Silva tendered an apology for the misbehaviour of several children of his school yesterday.

In a statement, he assured remedial measures to ensure that similar incidents will not be repeated in the future.

The following is the full text of the statement:

I have become aware of an incident that took place during the Royal College Cycle Parade 2025. In a video recording sent to me, I observed a student engaging in conduct unbecoming of a student of Royal College. The student is seen carrying a wooden cross, a defining symbol of the Christian faith, and handling it without due deference. Furthermore, the presence of such a symbol at an event where it was inappropriate to do so is deeply concerning.

I am also dismayed that this incident took place on Ash Wednesday, a sacred day for followers of the Christian faith.

In the first instance, I unreservedly apologize for this incident and categorically state that it was completely unsanctioned by Royal College. This act is in complete opposition to the values of Royal College as a multi-faith institution.

Given the seriousness of the matter, Royal College will take remedial measures to ensure that no further incidents of this nature occur in the future. A thorough investigation will also be conducted into the incident.

Comments - 22

R Navaratnam Thursday, 06 March 2025 07:27 PM

Principal - My hats off for apologizing. I would encourage disciplinary action/s against those brought shame to Royal College.

5 64

WHAT INVESTIGATION THE ACT WAS CARRIED OUT BY ONE STUDENT, EXPEL HIM AND IF ANY OTHERS ARE FOUND TO HAVE INSTIGATED HIM, THEY SHOULD BE WARNED Thursday, 06 March 2025 11:31 PM

NO EXCUSES BY THE STUDENT SHOULD BE ENTERTAINED, HE SHOULD BE EXPELLED FORM SCHOOL.

4 5

Amaree Friday, 07 March 2025 06:37 AM

It is better to brief about the expected behaviour every time BEFORE the matches. After all they are children, tempted to behave in an unruly manner.

1 6

Parent Thursday, 06 March 2025 07:40 PM

What else can you expect from this rowdy college? I fail to understand WHY a refine decent Christian college like STC continues to play matches with such a rowdy school like this? How many incidents have taken place in the past where these rowdies have misbehaved and assaulted STC boys, both physically and verbally. I have witnessed such incidents even at the Regatta. The behaviour of the rowdies from this so-called "Royal" college is appalling to say the least!!! This time they seem to have truly "nailed" it by carrying a "Cross" and disrespecting Christianity. I sincerely hope that severe action will be taken against this incident and that STC will stop playing matches of any sort with this rowdy school in the future!!

62 58

Crazy8 Thursday, 06 March 2025 07:45 PM

"Encross" the perpetrators, sir!

4 53

sarath gooneratne Thursday, 06 March 2025 08:17 PM

Yes, isolated incidents like this do happen once in a while and of course the school or the Principal should not be blamed for such instances. Parents are of course there to teach children the good and the bad.

9 48

Citizen Thursday, 06 March 2025 08:29 PM

Stop any further dealings with these rascals. That'll teach them a lesson, hopefully.

14 46

Kikazaru Thursday, 06 March 2025 09:04 PM

Royal College has students of a high stature before the grade 5 crap was introduced. Now we are reaping the harvest from the grade 5 scholarship exam. The same applies to the GMOA.

5 7

Neutral Thursday, 06 March 2025 11:08 PM

Royal not known for sportmanship as we recall the highly-debated match in 1885, where Royal College was all out for nine runs and refusing to play on the second day which was considered a win by S. Thomas' and considered a draw by Royal.

2 2

Ranil Thursday, 06 March 2025 11:25 PM

@Parent Why don’t you prove that the kid was a student of the alleged institution than making rowdy comments! Did you miss your red pills or are your shrink given up on your mental health?

9 5

Old boy St Johns College Jaffna Friday, 07 March 2025 12:45 AM

@ Parent- As you have compared STC with Royal College , let me add few lines. STC, St Johns College Jaffna and Trinity College Kandy are the three pioneering private schools for boys in Sri Lanka. As such they attracted the sons of higher classes. But Royal college was never a private school , actually it started as Colombo Academy and few years later changed its name to Royal College. This name change catapulted it to look as a private school even though unlike private schools majority of the students did not come from upper class family background. STC should never have formed the "cricketing big match" with Royal , it should have gone with St Johns in Jaffna or Trinity in Kandy.

19 4

Michael Perera Friday, 07 March 2025 01:24 AM

Identify this student and give him six of the best at weekly assembly. Then suspend him. This would have happened in the time of Principal Dudley De Silva in the 1960s. The student's parents woud not have dared to complain. Perhaps times have changed and such capital punishment is no longer permitted!

3 2

J Deen Friday, 07 March 2025 06:49 AM

Mr LWK Silva as the present principal you are no class to the former principals of Royal College such as Dudley KG De silva, Bogoda Premaratne, Stanley Dias, DW Welikala, EC Gunasekera, etc. " Disce Aut Disce De"

1 0

Eper Friday, 07 March 2025 07:07 AM

Hats off to the Principal. We should respect all religions and races and move forward in a dignified manner

2 3

Curious Friday, 07 March 2025 07:29 AM

Why so much importance for this overrated school cricket?

0 5

Vivek Path Friday, 07 March 2025 08:51 AM

Before jumping into conclusions had there been a mental evaluation of the student been carried out?

0 2

Asela srimanna Friday, 07 March 2025 08:58 AM

some times royalist have their butts moved to their dead...

0 1

Ceylonese Friday, 07 March 2025 09:58 AM

What else do you expect from the so-called Royalists? See the mess they have made in the parliament. Most of the Mudukku Fellas are in Royal College anyway.

3 6

wsw Friday, 07 March 2025 02:51 PM

Dear "Parent", with all due respect, may I ask, R u an actual parent of a Thomian or just a card thrower making such extreme calls for STC to break tradition with their most closely aligned brotherly school, because of a few isolated incidents? I agree, the stupid mischievous actions of the student do not keep in line with the values and ethos of Royal college and no doubt, he needs to be disciplined or more approximately educated accordingly but please do not blatantly keep displaying your hidden animosity and inexplicable grudge towards this great institution, remember we were all students once a upon a time and have have made mistakes and done silly things in life we perhaps now regret and most likely never repeat, so just chill out and do not add fuel to an already inflammable issue.

2 3

Indra Dasa Saturday, 15 March 2025 05:22 AM

Misbehaviours of students such as this nature could happened mainly due to bad influences of past students who have been or had been holding top governing roles in the past and may be in the present . Instead they are role models to the public , some of them as in the recent times who faced in international media network face to face interview showed to the world they are not capable to be role models to current and future generations in the country . The current incident in Royal College had been Completely unsanctioned since the act of that student is complete opposition to the values of any teaching institutions and complete opposition of common values in any decent institution and a society .

0 1

Naman Sunday, 16 March 2025 10:25 AM

New motto of RC should be not only to study but BEHAVE as well—> otherwise depart from the school. RC Principal should keep up the tradition of being SECULAR

0 0

Ian Bertus Sunday, 16 March 2025 05:01 PM

I dont know who thinks great of Royal College

0 0

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