20 Sri Lankan educational theorists

Kalutara Koralalage Edward Winifred Brito Adikaram was an educationalist, writer, social activist and a Philosopher in Sri Lanka. In 1931 he obtained an M.A degree from London School of Oriental Studies and in 1933 a PhD on the thesis "Early History of Buddhism in Ceylon". After returning to Sri Lanka he started to teach in Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte and in 1934, he became the principal of the school. He was a prominent nonviolence activist in Sri Lanka.

Ralph Ignatius Thomas Alles was a Sri Lankan educationalist. He served as the State Secretary for Ministry of Education from 1989 to 1993, was the founding principal and creator of D. S. Senanayake College Colombo 07, and was the founder of the Gateway Group and acted as its chairman until his death.

Henry Woodward Amarasuriya was a Ceylonese plantation owner, politician, educationist and philanthropist. He was the Cabinet Minister for Trade and Commerce in the cabinet of D. S. Senanayake. A former member of the Ceylon state council, H. W. Amarasuriya was a founding member and the first general secretary of the United National Party. He also held the position of Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees in the first parliament of Ceylon. A member of the first Education Executive Committee of the state council and a former general manager of the Buddhist schools, he did a great service to improve the education in Ceylon.

Louis Edmund Blaze, JP, OBE, BA (Calcutta), was a Sri Lankan educationist and the founder and principal of Kingswood College, Kandy (1891–1923).

Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Bonnel, S.J., born on 31 August 1865 in Roubaix, France, and died on 7 May 1945 in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, was a French Jesuit priest.

James Clifford Aelian Corea was a Sri Lankan educationist. He was the former Principal of Royal College Colombo.

Charles Henry de Soysa, JP was a Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a pioneering planter, industrialist and was the wealthiest Ceylonese of the 19th century. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first Ceylonese bank, the Moratuwa carpenters guild, the Ceylon Agricultural and National Associations. He is widely regarded as the greatest philanthropist of the island for contributions which includes the De Soysa Maternity Hospital, the Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, St. Matthias Church, the Model Farm Experimental Station and many other institutions and acts of charity, establishing infant-maternal healthcare and secular education for girls in the country. He would have been the island's first Knight Bachelor, but having died prior, his widow was given the rare honor of the use of the style and dignity of wife of the Knight Bachelor and was known as Lady Catherine de Soysa.

Gate Mudaliyar Jeronis de Soysa was a pioneering Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a pioneer coffee planter and an industrialist who became the wealthiest Ceylonese of the 19th century by establishing the largest native commercial enterprise of the era. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first Ceylonese bank and is often referred to as a father of private enterprise in British Ceylon. He was the first Mudaliyar to be elevated in recognition of his philanthropy.

Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka known as D.B. Jayatilaka was a Sri Lankan educationalist, statesmen and diplomat. He was Vice-President of the Legislative Council of Ceylon; the Minister for Home Affairs and Leader of the House of the State Council of Ceylon; and Representative of Government of Ceylon in New Delhi. Sir D. B. Jayatilaka is also considered as a flag bearer of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Cristopher William Wijekoon Kannangara was a Sri Lankan Lawyer and a politician, accredited often with being the Founder of the post independence island nation. Being a not so very distant relation of Sri Lanka's old ruling Imperial Royals, now fully informal, CWW worked with other princely families and Ceylon's traditional nobilty, other impotant members of the self rule movement, as well as the British courtsi in the end to attain the goal of self rule. Rising up the ranks of Sri Lanka's movement for independence in the early part of the 20th century, he moved on to play a pivotal role defending leaders of the independence movement in court and achieving vital legal victories contributing vastly to the cause of independence as a lawyer and orator, soon achieving the Presidency of Ceylon National Congress, the forerunner to Sri Lanka's Parliament UNP. Later, he became the first Minister of Education in the State Council of Ceylon, and was instrumental in introducing extensive reforms to the country's education system that opened up education to children from all levels of society.

Wijesinghe Sugathadasa Karunaratne was a well-known Buddhist scholar and a fiercely independent thinker. He was affectionately known by the Sri Lankan masses as "W. S." and as "The Don" by the academia. Karunaratne was born in Katugastota, a small village in the Kandy district, Sri Lanka.

Patrick de Silva Kularatne was Sri Lankan educationist and politician. He was a Member of the State Council of Ceylon (1942-1947) and Member of Parliament (1960-1965). He served as Principal of Ananda College and established Nalanda College Colombo, Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Dharmapala Vidyalaya.

K. Kailasanatha Kurukkal was a researcher, writer and professor of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Major Edward Alexander Nugawela was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Education in independent Sri Lanka (1947–1954), later Cabinet Minister of Health (1954–1956), a Member of Parliament and State Council.

Richard Pathirana was a Sri Lankan politician and educationist. He served as the minister for Education and Higher Education from 1994 to 2000 and as the minister for State Administration, Home Affairs and Administration Reforms from 2000 to 2001 in the cabinets of Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Edward Walter Perera was a Ceylonese barrister, politician and freedom fighter. He was known as the "Lion of Kotte" and was a prominent figure in the Sri Lankan independence movement and a senator.

Venerable Joseph Sarvananthan was an Anglican Priest, in the Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon in Sri Lanka. He was made a Deacon in 1965 and ordained as a priest in 1966.

Dudley Kenneth George de Silva (1911–1974) was a Sri Lankan educationist.

Sir Bennet Soysa, CBE was a Ceylonese politician and philanthropist. He was a member of the 2nd State Council of Ceylon and the Senate of Ceylon. He was also Mayor of Kandy on five occasions and dedicated his wealth for the propagation of Buddhism.

Dr Douglas Walatara was a notable Sri Lankan lecturer in English and had a number of well known published materials. Some of his works have received coverage outside Sri Lanka and some of his books are available through libraries across the globe, such as the Australian National Library.