The following Article is from the ROYAL COLLEGE UNION e News letter from June 2013.
With the generous patronage of the Royal College Old Boys East Coast Association (RCOBECA), the old
boy fraternity of Royal College Union (RCU) have for the second consecutive year, facilitated the
contribution of the ICT workbooks for Royalists on 27 March 2013 at the Navarangahala.
Keeping ahead in the era of Information Technology has been a trade mark of Royal College ever since
Principal Mr Upali Gunasekara took over in steering Royal to greater heights in 2003. This giant project
worth Rs 1.4 million was funded entirely by RCOBECA and facilitated ICT books for students of grade 1
to grade 9.
The past president of RCOBECA Mr.Chandana Mutukumarana graced the presentation ceremony at the
invitation of the Principal to represent the east coast alumni affiliate of the RCU. The other
distinguished guests included Principal Royal College, Deputy Principals, Senior Games Masters, faculty
and administrative staff, Secretary RCU Mr Manju Ariyaratne, Secretary of the school development
committee Mr.Upul Jinadasa, Chairman ICT Advisory Committee Mr Ruchira Bomiriya, and the
members of the ICT Advisory and Management committee of the RCU.
Speaking at the occasion Principal Mr.Gunasekara commended the efforts of Old Royalists to equip
students with the knowledge of IT from the very first level at college. He emphasized that that the
students should take extra effort in making maximum use of this project which no other school has
accomplished thus far. “You are very fortunate to be able to learn IT at such a young age. You have the
capacity to improve skills and knowledge of the ICT and English at Royal and you must make maximum
use of it” He further noted the efforts carried out by the administration of Royal to enhance English
skills of young royalists with the recently held scrabble workshop and the future prospects of using ICT
to improve English.
Royal has bagged numerous ICT awards in the recent past, including the “ICT Excellence Award 2012”,
the “Microsoft most innovative school award” and the Oracle Think Quest award on ac count of the
collaborated efforts by the alumni and school administration.
Mr Chandana Mutukumarana who represented RCOBECA reminiscenced about the humble beginnings
of RCOBECA 20 years ago, what it has achieved and expressed his pride in being part of the true spirit
of Royal alumni; “paying the debt one owes to college” by contributing in projects such as these.
The support of the old Royal fraternity will be always forthcoming for skills development of present
generation of Royalists and we expect Royalists to be able to converse in English and be proficient in IT
when leaving college. Royal College is not about surpassing others. It is about surpassing ourselves so
that we achieve better than we did yesterday.
