The Delivery of General Education in Sri Lanka – An Alternative Approach

The discussion commences with a brief overview of the current structure that underpins the delivery of general education in Sri Lanka as it has evolved over the years. It, thereafter, proceeds to discuss the changes in the environment of delivery of general education that have a bearing on the issues that relate to the delivery of general education. As part of this analysis, the discussion focuses on issues that relate to the content of education, the quality of delivery, the financing of the delivery of general education as well as management issues.

The discussion, then, enters the area of what the role of the State should be in the delivery of general education. For this analysis, the discussion disaggregates the role that should obtain at the local community level, the Centre and the Provincial level. The support requirements of the schools are discussed in terms of the provision of teachers, the reimbursement of costs and the provision of infrastructure and supplies.

In the concluding discussions, the focus is on the implementation of the reforms that were suggested in the preceding analysis. This discussion deals with the support constituencies that are needed for the effective implementation of the reforms, the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to the introduction of reforms, the main issues that should be addressed, the institutional arrangements that should underpin the reform exercise and the locus of responsibility for managing the reform exercise.