Royal College Curepipe
Public school in Curepipe, Mauritius
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal College Curepipe (commonly known as RCC) is a secondary school in Mauritius. Founded in 1791, it began producing laureates in the 19th century and has continued to do so over the years.
| Royal College Curepipe | |
|---|---|
 The current school building completed in 1914 | |
| Location | |
 | |
Royal Road 20°19′04″S 57°31′25″E | |
| Information | |
| School type | Public |
| Motto | Terrae Quis Fructus Apertae? |
| Founded | 1791 |
| Rector | Dr Dishain Govind |
| Nickname | Grey Kingdom |
In the past, it admitted boys based on performance in the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) exams, according to national rankings. RCC has produced Higher School Certificate (HSC) who have competed for state scholarships for tertiary studies abroad.
Following education system reforms and the introduction of nine year schooling, RCC was converted into an academy in 2021. It became a co-education institution, admitting high-performing male and female students of the National Certificate of Education who have obtained eight aggregates.
History
The Royal College Curepipe is one of the oldest educational institutions of the Republic of Mauritius. Its history dates back to 1791, when the predecessor institution, the Collège National, also known as the Collège Colonial, was founded in Port Louis
It was reserved for the children of the privileged classes of that area, and the college was known as École Centrale in 1800, before renaming to Lycée Colonial from 1803 to 1810 during the final years of the French rule in Mauritius. During this period if was a boarding school and military training was introduced.
For six months after the British conquest in 1810, the Lycée Colonial was used as a military hospital in Port Louis. In 1813 the name of the college was changed by a decree of Governor Sir Robert Farquhar to Royal College.
It relocated from Port-Louis to Curepipe due to the deadly epidemic of 1899 which was more prevalent in the warmer and humid capital city. In 1912 the foundation stone of the present building in Curepipe was laid by Director of Public Works. The design was inspired by the Buckingham Palace of London.[1] The present building was inaugurated in 1914.[2]
Notable alumni
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| France Antelme | Broker, trader, World War II hero, executed by Germans, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur |
| Roshi Bhadain | Lawyer, accountant and former minister |
| Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard | Medical practitioner, physiologist and neurologist, professor at Royal de France |
| Dayendranath Burrenchobay | Laureate, Electrical Engineer, Knight of British Empire, Permanent Secretary, Governor General |
| Jayen Cuttaree | Scientist, lawyer, Minister of Labour, Housing and Industry |
| Maurice Curé | Laureate (1907), Medical practitioner, trade unionist, founder of Mauritius Labour Party, Member of Legislative Council |
| W. H. Lionel Cox | Laureate (1862), Chief Judge |
| Ajay Daby | Lawyer and Speaker of Parliament |
| Gaëtan Duval | Barrister, Lord Mayor (Port Louis), Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Knight of British Empire |
| Hervé Duval | Senior bureaucrat, Minister of Labour, Minister of Industry |
| Ashvin Dwarka | Notary, writer |
| Aqiil Gopee | Laureate (2015), writer |
| Idrice Goumany | Heroic medical doctor who managed a quarantine center during a smallpox epidemic |
| Pravind Jugnauth | Former Prime Minister |
| Gaston Labat | Physician and early pioneer of regional anesthesia |
| Amédée Maingard | World War II hero, tourism industry pioneer, founder of Air Mauritius and Mauritius Hotels Ltd |
| Jean Margéot | Bishop and first Mauritian Cardinal [3] |
| Prem Nababsing | Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and Ambassador in France |
| Raman Osman | Governor-General |
| Joseph Maurice Paturau | Mechanical engineer, pilot, decorated war hero, business leader and minister |
| Navin Ramgoolam | Medical practitioner, lawyer, Prime Minister |
| Seewoosagur Ramgoolam | Medical practitioner, first Prime Minister and Governor-General, Knight of British Empire |
| Droopnath Ramphul | Judge of Supreme Court |
| Guy Rozemont | Trade unionist and member of Legislative Council |
| Yiagadeesen Samy | Professor and school director |
| Renganaden Seeneevassen | Lawyer and former minister |
| Harry Tirvengadum | Managing Director of Air Mauritius |