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.
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. The present building was inaugurated in 1914.