Uduvil Girls’ College is a girls private school in Uduvil, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1820 by American missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest schools.



History

In 1816 American missionaries founded the American Ceylon Mission in Jaffna. The ACM established missions in other parts of the Jaffna peninsulaincluding one in Vaddukoddai. The ACM established numerous schools on the peninsula, the first school being the Common Free School (Union College) in Tellippalai. In 1820 the Uduvil Seminary was established in Uduvil. It was situated in an abandoned Franciscan mission built by the Portuguese. Harriet Winslow (1796–1823), a missionary turned it into an all-girls boarding school in 1824. It was called Missionary Seminary and Female Central School. It was Asia’s first all-girls boarding school.