History
Harischandra College was established in 1941 by the benefaction of Negombo Dharmadutha Association as a tribute offered to Walisinghe Harischandra who was born in the village. Edward De Silva, turned Brahmachchari Walisinghe Harischandra, was born on July 09, 1876, at Mahahunupitiya, (a suburban village of Negombo), to the family of Walisinghe Hendrick de Silva and Pehandi Marthnanda de Silva Gunasekera. Young Harischandra had his elementary education at the Hunupitiya Junior School under the guidance of the late Ven. Dharmaratnetissa Nayake Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Maha Hunupitiya Sugatharama Temple, and studied English at St. Mary’s College, Negombo.
The requirement of a Buddhist High School to Negombo was fulfilled and ceremonially opened by late C.W.W. Kannangara, father of free education in Sri Lanka on the 4th January 1942. It is sited in front of Anghurukaramulla Bhodirajarhama Temple, and it creates a Buddhist atmosphere and a recognition to the school. The land which required for this was gifted by late C.L.A. De Silva. The name Harischandra College was proposed by Member Mr. H.W Amarasuriya as a tribute to Walisinghe Harischandra who was born in the village. The school was started with five students and three teachers which housed in a cadjan roof shed. It was taken over by the government in 1962 and later on it was recognised as Hasrischandra Maha Vidyalaya. As an honor to Walisinghe Harischandra, it was proposed with idea of Mr. Nial Ranasinghe, a popular businessman in the area to place a statute inside the school. In order to fulfill the same on the 12th February 1993, the day of the Golden Jubilee completing the 50th year to school, Walisinghe Harischandra statute was erected in front of the school and declared opened by then President, D.B. Wijetunge. Distinguishing it as a National School in corresponding to the 50th Golden Jubilee is an extraordinary accomplishment in the history of the school.
Present day Harischandra College is sited in Negombo as a National School, in Gampaha District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, Negombo .The school is highly successful as a Buddhist National School and stands to be one of the prominent Buddhist schools in Western Province., with a student population beyond 4000 in all 13 grades on a ground of one acre. Harischandra College has a scholastic staff of about 162 individuals, which have been spread out more than 13 grades and furthermore different authoritative positions. The scholarly staff has the mammoth assignment of giving quality instruction to pupils, yet anyway completes this chore diligently with most extreme responsibility with the vision of creating the best pupils that this country requires.
The following link provides a PDF file which provides firsthand information of the history of Harischandra College compiled by a past pupil, Mr. Dinesh Udugamasooriya of Group 90/93 and this information would be a great aid for everyone who seek the origin of Harischandra College.
Mission
පාසලට හා සමාජයට, මුළුමහත් ලෝකයට ආදරය කරන, විශ්වාසවන්ත වගකීම් දැරියහැකි, විනය ගරුක හා තෘප්තිමත් ආත්ම අභිමානයෙන් යුතු දරුවකු බිහිකිරීම විදුහලේ මෙහෙවරයි.The mission of the school is to produce a child who is trusted, responsible, disciplined and contented with self-love for the school and the society, the whole world.
Vision
බුදු දහමින් හික්මුණු විනයක් සහිත පුර්ණ පෞර්ෂයකින් යුක්ත දරුවෙකු ශ්රී ලාංකීය දේශයට දායාද කිරීම.Endowing a child with full stature and discipline to the Sri Lankan nation with the discipline of Buddhism.
