Today, September 08, is World Literacy Day. According to the UNDP’s definition, literacy rate is the percentage of people aged 15 and above who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life. In Sri Lanka we currently enjoy a literacy rate of over 96% , higher than that expected for a country with our income level. We have enjoyed high literacy rates for sometime. The question is why we have not moved much beyond basic literacy.
Sri Lanka is small country with a high population density. Our natural resource endowments are grossly exaggerated. Our true endowment is our people. What we need to do is to enable that population to engage with a global economy with confidence, a confidence that allows them to retain a uniquely Sri Lankan identity.
Three simple policy objectives would suffice, I believe, and they are:
1. A decent pass rate at the GCE O/L for school leavers (current rate is 37%).
2. Proficiency in ICT and English, and entrepreneurial in attitude in our school leavers.
3. Freedom to choose from a variety of private tertiary education and training,
with a few world-class public institutions serving as exemplars of quality and champions of a uniquely Sri lankan identity.
A decent pass rate at the GCE O/L
Our school completion rates are impressive but misleading. Ninety seven percent (97%) complete primary education and 82% complete Grade 9, the basic secondary education completion point, but when it comes to testing time in Grade 11 at the GCE (O/L) exam, the the pass rate is only 37%. A pass at the GCE O/L requires passes in six subjects including passes in language and math. It is a shame that a country that was able to achieve adult literacy ahead of others is not able to at least a 50% pass rate at Grade 11. Our completion rate is body count that has no meaning. More public resources need to be devoted to improve the pass rate.
There are several Asian countries that provide a substantial of their primary and secondary education (or general education) through the private sector. (Korea for example, http://www.wes.org/ca/wedb/korea/kssecond.htm). However resource-strapped Sri lanka may be, it would not be wise for us to rely too much on private means for General education. Without sufficient growth in the economy, people would not have enough money to pay for private education. We have an extensive network of schools and institutions and we have the not so distant memory of Central Schools in their heydays. It is indeed possible to revive our education system. The teachers are the key. More respect for teachers, better professional development opportunities and higher pay should be a priority. Nobody understands this better than our current minister of education, President CBK herself. Unfortunately, her practices do not match her wisdom in policies. Otherwise why would her government ask the Department of Education to absorb half of the unemployed graduates as teachers, when the data clearly show that what we need is fewer teachers better distributed with better pay?
What is lacking is not policies or money but an overall consistent policy on broader economic and social issues, and a redirection of government resources. The redirection should include a strategy that divests government resource to what government must do and allows the private and civil society do what they can do better. We need a president who is an education president in word and deed.
Proficiency in ICT and English and an entrepreneurial attitude in our school leavers
This is an area where private sector and civil society can do a better job than government. Government institutions would be the last places to provide an environment conducive to to learning ICT know-how, English and the attitudes that we require. Our teachers and the teacher-trainers themselves are products of an insular education system. They very likely have not read or heard anything beyond what was required to pass the exams. It will be a long-time before our recruitment-pool improves with people who have engaged with a world beyond our exam-centered education system. ICT or English education at the hands of the government institution will become another note taking exercise.
However, there seem to be several new private initiatives that cater to the hunger for ICT and/or English in creative ways. I am waiting for the delivery of a package by Sakvithi Ransinghe that is supposed to help you learn English on your own. There are many other packages. After trying out Rosseta Stone, Linguaphone and several other packages I feel that home-grown material might be more suited for several young people in my life.
ICT in the form of always-on internet might be better still. A young group of people I know come to my office after hours to ‘do computer” as they say. After an initiation into the basic mechanics of using a computer we just let them browse the internet as they please. They have been emailing each other, going to chat rooms, and down loading music and pictures of Sharuk Khan and having a good time. They are not hung up on English but using what English they know to explore and innovate. What we are seeing is a remarkable phenomenon, I think. The phenomenon of the Internet serving as a medium that hones ICT, English and attitude at the same time. I am yet to see some literature on this topic.
3. Diversity in private opportunities for school leavers, with a few publicly-funded world-class institutions setting high standards of quality in education and training for the tertiary education sector.
In almost all countries over the world young adults are expected to bear some cost of their further education after leaving school. At the tertiary level true free education is an education where you have the freedom to choose when where and what you choose to study. Availability of private opportunities does not mean that governments do not fund tertiary education. The extent varies. In USA, close to 80% of the enrollments are in public institutions. In Korea it is the opposite with 80% attending private institutions. In areas of national importance where the private initiates may not be forthcoming, public institutions may take the lead. Public institutions may also serve as exemplars of quality in a public-private landscape. Of the top ten universities in Asia all but one are publicly-funded. In Sri Lanka too we need to focus on building world-class universities while allowing the private sector and professional associations to fill the gaps in Tertiary education needs.
13 Comments
muhandiramalage navaratne
i am currently living in sharjah.i want to know sakvithi ranasinghe the english teacher.if there is web site or contact tel.number please send m.
thank you
sujata
54, 2nd Floor, Super Market Building, Borella (Tel +94 11 283-4541.)
Please tell us why you are interested.
Anjula
Hi,
I would like to get in touch with you about a development related youth forum. It will be launched very soon.
Through the site we hope to capture the voices and ideas of young people in Sri Lanka, and also to highlight issues, share ideas, etc.
Furthermore, infoshare is also looking at some IT literacy improvement projects. There maybe some possibilities we can discuss.
Pls mail me on anjula@info-share.org
cheers!
Anjula
douglas king
All this discussion about IT, teachers and O level standards are fine, but in reality msot schools in Sri Lanka show little difference from 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years ago. Broken blackboards propped up on chairs, several classes in one hall with noise levels and distractions making good teaching or learning difficult if not impossible. In the Central Province alone tere is a shortage of over 600 English teachers, mainly in rural areas, whilst many urban schools are over-staffed. So-called International Schools and tuition classes have become parallel education systems.
sujata
One of the intents of this post was to point out the need to bring attention to the O/L pass rates, and diffuse the attention from the race to 13,000 places in the universities. A decent pass rate at the GCE (O/L) is a more tangible goal, I believe, than trying create more public universities for all those qualify at the A/L. Overall, the intent was to identify some realistic goals. Yes, transferring spouses of the Colombo-based officials to the central province is one of many things that need to be done to get there. However, I don’t think education has stood still in this country. Curricula have changed, largely for the better. There are more projects and assessments at the school level.
As for international schools, it is time they got a little more respect, I think. In countries where governments work, you don’t need international schools. In USA, UK, Europe primary and secondary education is provided almost 100% out of public funds. In countries that are characterized by low growth, poor governance and many other ills, citizens are the people who suffer if there were no private opportunities. Most countries have understood this reality (private secondary enrolment: Brazil , 19%; Colombia,40%, India, 40%; Indonesia, 54%; http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-publication48pdf.) We have pursued the holy grail of honest politicians and conscientious officials long enough. It is not going to get any better. Sri Lanka has to get real and give more support to the international schools and let some of the tutories grow into proper schools. Giving some help with buildings and land and setting up a regulatory mechanism would be the smart thing to do by the government.
Ancient Clown
The benefits of the Art of Wire Tree-making is far reaching and must be experienced to be understood. Truly, a lesson between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’ is immediately apparent.
“On one hand”…(I hold a roll of wire and say); “This is an example of someone who heard me tell them how to make a tree…on the the other hand,”…(I hold a finished tree and say); “Now this is an example of someone who ‘LISTENED’…SEE, ‘listening’ requires action.”
I don’t think I know…I just know I’m thinking.
Ancient Clown
The enlightened one
Hi!
Sakwithi Ranasinghe sirs website is: http://www.sakwithiranasinghe.com, you can also access through http://www.sakwithi.com
kudabolana
we want to enter the ict education forum in sri lanka
muhandiramalage navaratne
hi, sujatha & The enlightened one ,
thanks for giving info.
i am here in u.a.e. i am planing to come sri lanka next december.
i would like to promote his English package in sri lanka.
can anyone send some more details about it, i am distributor here in a sales feild.
send mail: thiranagamaruwan@yahoo.com .
thank you ,
regards,
navaratne.
azdaktoday
Isn’t Sakivithi Ranasingha, the man against whom there are complaints on a fraud of 5 million Rupees, made by various people at the Mirihana police station?. He is suppose to have left the country. What kind of an English teacher is this idiot?This beggar cannot pronounce the sounds even properly.
Anaconda
Correction… the asshole has fled the country with more than 500 million Rupees… Under developed Dog… Filthy piece of shit…
FASEENA
can anyone send some details about closing date of A/L exam for private candidates in 2009?
එදා බැරි වුනු අධ්යාපන ප්රතිසංස්කරණ අද කරන්න පුළුවන් ඇයි?
එදා බැරි වුනු අධ්යාපන ප්රතිසංස්කරණ අද කරන්න පුළුවන් ඇයි? : 2023-2033 ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුව පිළිබඳ විශ්ලේෂණයක් by Sujata Gamage 2023 ජූලි මාසයේදී කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය විසින් ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුවක් සැකසීම සඳහා ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ සභාපතිත්වයෙන් පත් කෙරුණු කැබිනට් අනු කමිටුව විසින් අද වන විට එම ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුව 2023-2033 (හෝ National Education Policy Framework 2023-2033) අධ්යාපනය පිළිබඳ ආංශික අධීක්ෂණ කමිටුවේ හා දෙවනුව සමස්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ විමර්ශනය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කොට ඇත.
Proposals to make Sri Lanka’s National Examinations more relevant
[Extracted from the report “A Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination” Prepared by Committee of Experts for Reforming the Department of Examination appointed by the Minister for Education dated December 2017.] The Department of Examination is perhaps the government department with the most impact on society in Sri Lanka.
Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination of Sri Lanka, 2017
Download Plan : Sinhala English A Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination for implementation in 2018-2019 was prepared by Committee of Experts to review examinations and evaluation system and roles and functions of the Department of Examinations to make recommendations for improving the quality and standards of testing and evaluation systems in Sri Lanka appointed by the Secretary for Education by letter dated April 28, 2017. Members of the Committee Ex-officio: Mr.
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