Sir John Kothalawala College (Sir John Kothalawala Maha Vidyalaya) is a public college in the city of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka.[1] It was established on 16 January 1974 and was formerly known as Bandaranayake Vidyalaya.[2]
Sir John Kothalawala College opened on 16 January 1974 in the palace of Bishop Lakdasa De Mel. At that time, the bishop's palace was used for classrooms. The college was initially known as Bandaranayake Vidyalaya and was under the sponsorship of Piyadasa Wijesinghe, a former member of parliament. The objective in the establishment of the school was to provide more opportunities for youth from rural communities, away from overcrowded and competitive popular schools. The college opened with six teachers and fourteen students. With 175 teachers and 4600 students, it is the largest school in North Western Province.[3][non-primary source needed]
The school flag is mainly coloured green, the official colour of the school. The school crest is at the bottom of the flag. There are four coloured strips, in the colours of the four school houses, at the hoist of the flag.[4][5]
The Battle of Greens is the annual big cricket match between Sir John Kothalawala College and Royal College Wayamba, Kurunegala at Welagedara Stadium.[6] Sir John Kothalawala College won the last match in 2016.
There is an annual sporting meet. Students are divided into four houses: Thissa, Vijaya, Gemunu, and Perakum.