School History

With the onset of establishing “Madya Vidyala” in the country, Karawita Central College was founded, in the central college area which belongs to Nivithigala Parliament seat, on the request of several including Mr. M.T. Premarathna who actively pioneered the initiation. The school was started in a small building built closer to the Karawita Primary School on 3rd June 1947.

Mr. M.D.A. Perera, a former teacher at Ratnapura Seevali Central College, served as the first Principal. The staff consisted of only 2 teachers: Mr. Mayadunne and Ms. Saparamadu. At the beginning, there were only 13 students in Grade 6 and 7, which increased to 35 by the end of the year. Following the introduction of the Grade 5 scholarship examination, enrollment increased rapidly. To support residential needs, a local donor, Mr. Mangalasiri, contributed funds to build a hostel, and a house was rented for use as a girls’ hostel.

In 1950, five students sat for the HSC examination for the first time, with three passing, including the school’s first student, Mr. P.S.D. Ariyasena. In December 1952, Mr. Syril Ariyarathna was appointed as Principal. His tenure is regarded as the “Golden Era” of the school; he oversaw the construction of new buildings, moved the school to a 17-acre site in 1957, planned the school playground, and introduced the motto: “Asava, Dharava, Hesireva” (Listen, Concentrate and Practice).

The school was renamed Karawita Pagnananda Central College in 1962. By 1965, the school had grown to 27 teachers and 669 students. Continued development throughout the 1960s and 1970s saw the addition of laboratories, libraries, and vocational training sections, with the school reaching its full maturity around 1977.