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New Education Act to register, regulate International schools
View(s):By Nadia Fazlulhaq
A new Education Act will be introduced this year with international schools islandwide, coming under the Education Ministry, in order to maintain proper teaching standards, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. Minister Gunawardena told the Sunday Times that this decision was confirmed by President Rajapaksa at the Ministry of Education this week.
Students at an international school in Colombo. Pic by Indika Handuwala
“While reviewing the progress, the President also emphasised the need to bring international schools under a regulatory authority, as most of them are presently operated as businesses registered under the Board of Investment or the Registrar of Companies,” the Minister said. Mr. Gunawardena said the Special Advisory Committee appointed last year has interviewed over 1,000 teachers, including Government teachers and parents for their views on international schools and their operation.
“Since 1977, there have been international schools. Though the concept was to enroll children of expatriates in the country, at present, there are thousands of local students in these schools. As there are local students involved, it is necessary for the Education Ministry to regulate the activities of these schools,” he said. Among the areas that will be regulated are curriculum, standards of teaching, qualification of teachers and discipline.
“International schools will come under a separate unit of the Education Ministry, with a director in charge. We will collect all details of international schools and monitor them. President Rajapaksa insisted that this should be done without further delay,” he said. The Minister said a number of international schools do not teach religion, history and the mother tongue, and added the President had ordered these subjects be made compulsory in all schools including international schools.
At present, the Education Ministry does not have any information regarding international schools or the number of local students in them. When contacted, the Education Ministry’s Private Schools Division Director M. Wijetunge said that he did not even know the number of international schools or the number of students studying in them.
Stafford International School’s former principal Noreen Welikala, with 50 years of experience, said that, with the increasing trend of international schools mushrooming islandwide, there is a need to regulate them to a certain extent.
“They just go as English medium international schools. But the quality of teaching and, in some, the curriculum is not that of a school. It is important to maintain the standards of education,” she said. ‘International Schools Sri Lanka’ Association President Dr. Harsha Alles said, “the State should look into the facilities, qualification of teachers and standard of education, but should not to be imposing authoritarian conditions on international schools.”
“We are supportive of the rule, because we believe in standards, and that Sri Lankan students should be aware of their country’s values, history, culture and religion. But we do not want unnecessary bureaucratic red tape,” he said.
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