Thurstan College is a public school in Colombo. It is a National School, i.e. it is controlled by the Central government as opposed to the Provincial Council and provides both primary and secondary education. Founded in 1950 and named the Senior Government School, it accommodated students of Royal Junior School who could not gain admission to Royal College Colombo. Thurstan College today has a student population of 2500. It is situated in Colombo 7, in the heart of the educational triangle of Sri Lanka with the University of Colombo and the Royal College Colombo as neighbors. Students take examinations conducted by the Ministry of Education and proceed to universities and higher educational institutes in Sri Lanka and overseas. The facilities at college include science laboratories, computer laboratories and libraries. The college has more than 30 clubs and societies. Thurstan School began at the end of World War Two in the 1940s. It was started as a result of the free education concept brought by scholar and minister of education Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara.