Sivali school was established in 1909 in Ratnapura town with 15 children as Sivali School. It was

later known by various names such as “Sivali Vidyalaya”, “Sivali Cluster School” and Sivali

National School in time to time. Total number of students and alumina’s of mother Sivali was

around 30,802 by the end of 2021. 28004 of these are alumni.

Until the school was shifted to present location at Hidallana in 1955, it was operated in three

buildings on the Riverside Road Ratnapura for the first 46 years.

Beginning of Sivali School

In the 19th century, Sri Lanka was a colony of British Empire. Until the complete conquest by the

British in 1815, the country had an advanced civilization and culture on the influence of

Buddhist philosophy. Buddhist children were educated in the “Privena” attached to temples and

from “danamithi rala“ in villages. The British imperialists wanted to create a pro-western group

in this country who wear trousers coats and gowns like them and accept what they would say.

They expect people to speak in English & not their native language. So they ban the “Privena

and “Danamithi Rala” education system by low and promoted missionary education.

Accordingly, government issued a gazette in 1847 restricting “Priven” education only to the

monks. The gazette was issued by the then chief justice, Sir Anthony Oliphant.

The educational institutions of “Danamithi Rala” were humiliated by spreading insults and satire

about the Wise Mahadanamuththa and Golayo. Sir Ivor Jeggins has explained in his book

“Nationalism in nearly Independent States “that this British tactic was very successful.

A renaissance in Buddhist education began when Buddhist elites, including Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri

Sumangala Thero, realized that the Sinhala nation itself was being degraded due to the lack of

understanding of Buddhist philosophy, attitudes and culture among Sinhalese children in this

country and took action against it,

As a result of intervening and dedication of people like Colonel Olcott and Hon.Anagarika

Dharmapala, Ananada Collage in Colombo, Mahinda Collage in Galle, Dharmaraja in Kandy and

Maliyadewa in Kurunagala were established.

Accordingly, a Buddhist school was started in Ratnapura, Weralupa temple in 1905 under the

leadership of Ven.Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero. Dignitaries such as Mudduwa Walawwa Mr.

Thennakoon Podiralahami , Dambawinna Rate Mahathmaya ,Mudliyer D.L.Artigala and Alapatha

Disawa Mr. Weragama (Korale Mahathmaya) have initiated from Rathnapura. After two to three

years school was moved to Dharma Shalawa Temple due lack of space. Several members of the

governing body of school wanted to run the English school without being affiliated with temple

or Pirivena.

Accordingly. Several members of that governing board initiated and started the “SivaliSchool” in

1909 with 15 children in a house on Riverside Road Rathnapura

Year Award

2015 National Productivity Gold Award

2015 Suwasara Haritha Takshalawa - Pure Green School

2015 Provincial Fruitful Gold Award

2015 Suwasara Haritha Takshalawa - Pure Green School

2015 Provincial Fruitful Gold Award

2016/2017 Provincial Fruitful Gold Award

2017 Best Environmental School - Lifetime Award (Society for the Advancement of Education)

2017 Best Annual Report - Second Place

2017 Excellent School (Ministry of Education, Standards and Evaluation Branch)

2017 Best Evergreen School (Ministry of Education, Standards and Evaluation Branch)

2018 Excellent Award - Presidential Environmental Awards

2020/2021 National Productivity Award - First Place