C.M.S. Ladies' College, Colombo
| C.M.S. Ladies’ College, Colombo | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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Colombo Sri Lanka |
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| Coordinates | 6°54′26″N 79°51′27″W / 6.90722°N 79.85750°WCoordinates: 6°54′26″N 79°51′27″W / 6.90722°N 79.85750°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Motto |
Latin: Haec Victoria Nostra Fides |
| Established | 1900 |
| Founder | Lilian Nixon |
| Chairman of Governors | Thanja Peiris |
| Principal | Eesha Speldewinde |
| Staff | 120 |
| Faculty | 156 |
| Grades | Preschool - Grade 12 |
| Gender | Girls |
| Age | 2 1/2 to 19 |
| Enrollment | 1897 |
| Campus size | 4.32 hectares (10.7 acres) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Colour(s) | Red White |
| Affiliation | Anglican |
| Website | CMS Ladies' College |
Latin: Haec Victoria Nostra Fides
C.M.S Ladies' College is a private girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka, founded on behalf of the Church Missionary Society by Lilian Nixon in 1900. The current principal is Eesha Speldewinde, who has been in office since 2013.
The college was founded by Lilian Nixon in 1900 on behalf of the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S). Nixon was a 26‑year old Irish woman and Old Girl of Victoria College, Belfast, and Cheltenham Ladies' College. She graduated with honours in modern literature from the Royal University of Ireland and later studied at Highbury Secondary Training College and the Froebel Institute, London. She was a firm believer in the importance of education for women and, aided by her colleague Elizabeth Whitney, founded the college in a large bungalow in Union Place, Slave Island, Colombo, with two students enrolled. In 1914 Nixon resigned due to ill health and the college was registered as a Grant in Aid school.
She was succeeded as principal by Gwen Opie, who began new buildings for the school. Opie died in 1944 and was buried in General Cemetery Kanatte. Rita Opie took over as acting principal. In 1945, there was a push towards abolition of tuition fees in state aided denominational schools. Facilities in terms of teachers and equipment would henceforth be determined by the state, which would bear the cost of the running of the school. In 1946, Mabel E. Simon was appointed principal. Simon pushed to set up pre-vocational guidance services that would lead onto vocational guidance to help students find new careers.
On the retirement of Simon, Olive Hitchcock was appointed acting principal in 1964 and she in turn was succeeded by Sirancee Gunawardena in 1968. The decade following her appointment saw a policy of increasing state control. Eight years later, a liberalised economy began to encourage private enterprise. Whilst the need for English was downgraded in state schools, the Ladies College continued to view English as a modern living language. English, therefore, remained the medium of communication in the school.
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