Brief History of the School
15.04.1885 – The foundation stone was laid by the Most Reverend Ulen Father.
Founder – Rev. Sister Vikra’s mother.
Establishment – Began on the 13th day of Vaikasi in 1885.
Started with grades 1 to 5.
In 1901, it became a grant-aided school.
1923 – English medium classes were started.
Rev. Sister Theresa served as principal, and Rev. Sister Agnes served as assistant teacher.
On 15.01.1930, the English school was officially registered under the government and began to function independently. At this time, Rev. Sister Koler took over responsibilities.
On 15.01.1930, education expanded to include grades 3 to 8 (Junior section).
In 1928, the first Tamil Teacher Training College was started.
Between 1935 – 1952, new land was acquired by Rev. Sister Salome, and a two-story building was constructed.
In 1938, a Home Science room, library, and fine arts center were built.
Between 1935 – 1949, Rev. Sister Lutz served as principal of the English section.
In 1937, 10 students from the English section appeared for the Senior School Certificate exam, and 4 passed – a notable success.
In 1939, an orphanage was started. Qualified students had the opportunity to be trained as teachers, starting from the nursery level.
Between 1946 – 1954, with the introduction of free education, the number of students increased.
In 1959, Advanced Level Arts stream classes were started.
In 1960 (Margazhi month), the school was taken over by the government.
On 01.05.1963, the Tamil and English sections were merged.
Between 1968 – 1974, Rev. Sister Lucilla, a former top student of the school, served as principal.
On 11.05.1977, under the leadership of Rev. Sister Perthanila, the GCE A/L Science stream was introduced.
On 20.08.1992, due to military activities, the school was relocated and functioned as an evening school at J/Maanippai Ladies College.
From 1993 to 1995, the school functioned in a private building on Vasantham, Pharmacy Road, Maanippai.
From 1995 to 28.04.1996, it operated at Kodikamam Thirunavukkarasu Maha Vidyalaya.
From 01.05.1996, the school returned to its original location in Ilavalai, was revitalized, and celebrated its centenary – a proud moment.
In 2008, in the A/L Science stream, Miss N. Sagini was selected to the Faculty of Medicine. All students passed in the science stream.
In 2015, a beautiful entrance to the school was constructed with funds donated by Mr. Mahenkumar, son of a former vice-principal. Former students abroad funded a children's park, a 3-story building, and a decorated front walkway.
2015 – 2017 – The old primary section building was completely removed and replaced with a new building.
On 10.05.2016, a mini cyclone damaged the school’s open hall.
On 22.09.2016, Rev. Sister Sagaya Nayagi Vastianpillai took office as the 18th principal.
On 29.10.2016, the school won 1st place at national level (C division) in the under-20 throwball competition.
In 2017, after 35 years, the school won a gold medal at the National Inter-school Physical Training Competition.
Miss Mary Lakshiya was selected as the Best Team Leader at national level.
The under-20 kabaddi team won silver by finishing 2nd.
Grade 5 student Miss Jerona won 2nd place in expressive acting.
Grade 10 student Miss S. Diyanatharsini won 1st place in a storytelling contest conducted by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
In 2017, an upper floor was added to the primary section, and the building was fully painted.
In 2017, weightlifting was introduced for the first time. Equipment was donated by Mr. Mahen Palliyaguru.
In the 2017 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam, 6 students scored above the cut-off, and all students passed – achieving a 100% pass rate.
In the GCE O/L, Miss D. Ann Emilinie passed with 8As and 1B.
In the GCE A/L, B. Anarwinitha (Commerce stream) and N. Dushagini (Arts stream) both passed with 3As, bringing pride to the school.
In 2018, at the National Inter-school Physical Training Meet:
Under-20 team won bronze (3rd place).
Under-20 kabaddi team won silver (2nd place).
Under-17 throwball team won bronze (3rd place).
The open hall and classrooms damaged by the 2015 cyclone were reconstructed with a two-story building funded by the Northern Province Chief Secretary Mr. Pathinathan, completed in 2019.
In 2018, a Smart Classroom division was introduced, funded by the Bishop of Jaffna.