Vembadi Girls’ High School is a national school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1834 by British Methodist missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest schools.



History



Methodist missionaries from Britain arrived in Ceylon on 29 June 1814. Two of the missionaries, Rev. James Lynch and Rev. Thomas Squance, traveled to Jaffna leaving Galle on 14 July 1814 and arriving in Jaffna on 11 August 1814, to establish a mission. In 1817 the Jaffna Wesleyan English School was founded with Rev. Lynch as principal. Although the school was a boys school there were a few girls on the roll as well. The school was renamed Jaffna Central School in 1834 by the then principal Rev. Dr. Peter Percival. In the same year a separate girls school was established. The girls school was renamed Vembadi Girls’ High School in 1897.



In 1944 Vembadi started providing free education. Most private schools in Ceylon, including Vembadi, were taken over by the government in 1960. In 1984 Vembadi became a national school.