Education given top priority in election manifestos
View(s):Education and higher education have been given top priority in the election manifestos of the two top candidates — the New Democratic Front candidate Sajith Premadasa and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They have pledged sweeping reforms to take Sri Lanka’s education system to the next level in keeping with the needs of the modern era. The National People’s Power candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake too has vowed to bring in radical changes in the educational sector. The Education Times produces below extracts from their education policy as stated in their manifestos.
Sajith Premadasa: New Democratic Front
Student-friendly and Modern approach to a Progressive Education System: Sajith Preamadasa
In keeping with international benchmarks of GCE Ordinary Level, the number of subjects offered to students will be reduced to 6. Grades 12 and 13 will include a Vocational stream for those not intending to enter university, to be granted a Vocational Training certificate in line with the benchmarks for Vocational and Technical education.
While we shall strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) education, schools will be expected to provide a balanced education by promoting aesthetic studies and sports for overall personality development.
We shall ensure that human and physical infrastructure development for STEM education will be strengthened islandwide, eliminating disparities in national-level teacher training.
We will improve the standard of English and Mathematics teaching in rural schools, by resolving the gaps in available teachers, especially in rural areas, through a special training and incentive scheme for recent graduates and teachers.
National Colleges of Education (NCE) will be upgraded to Degree-awarding institutions, in compliance with National Quality Assurance guidelines. We will also establish 3 new NCEs for Mathematics, Science and English. To improve the standard of STEM teaching, teachers of those subjects, passing a capability assessment, will be incentivised. We will establish objective criteria for recruitment and quality assurance in the teaching profession.
SCHOOLS
We will ensure that the schools admission system is transparent, just, and impartial to all. Nationwide school vacancies will be constantly updated on a publicly accessible online portal.
We shall take urgent measures to modernise the facilities of the National Institute of Education with regard to human and physical infrastructure development, so that, it is able to ensure the maintenance of high standards for education management in the 9 Provinces.
The deficiency of Tamil language staff officers in Government educational institutions will be rectified. Training opportunities will be expanded for Tamil-language principal teachers.
We shall establish national schools with proper human and physical infrastructures for the 9 Provinces. To cope with the increasing demand for quality education in suburban areas, we will establish 30 new national schools in Homagama, Maharagama, Kaduwela, Kotte, Kolonnawa, Kesbewa, Moratuwa, Piliyandala, Malabe, Pannipitiya, Avissawella, Panadura, Kalutara, Wattala, Kelaniya, Ja-Ela, Katana and Negombo.
To minimise school dropouts due to financial difficulties, we will provide two school uniforms, a pair of shoes and a nutritious, free midday meal to students.
HIGHER EDUCATION
We aim at building a globally-competitive university system. Universities will enjoy greater autonomy to make their own decisions and determine their own vision and identity. In doing so, we will redefine the roles and responsibilities between the Government, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and individual universities.
The independence of the UGC will be strengthened and its mandate expanded to reflect 21st century needs.
Students will have a greater choice over the selection of universities and subjects they enrol in.
We will transform Sri Lanka into an international educational hub in the region, capable of attracting foreign students.
To ensure higher education for all and increased freedom of choice for students, we will expand the My Future interest-free higher education loan scheme to cover more Higher Education Institutes, and double the credit limit from Rs. 800,000 to Rs. 1.6 million.
We will also expedite the loan application process to enable students enrol immediately after examination results are released.
We will expand the annual intake of the Bachelor of Education Degree to 5,000 students, which will also help address the shortage of teachers in the school system.
The planned Scholarship for Education Excellence, aimed at providing the students who excel in the Advanced Level Examination, with overseas education, will be swiftly implemented, so that they can return to help develop the country.
We will encourage new non-profit technical universities or university colleges in every province.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa: Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Gotabaya: Quality Education system from Pre-school to Tertiary education under one curriculum to international standards
We will focus our special attention on preparing an action plan in this regard from pre-school to tertiary education including technical education. We intend expanding the opportunities available for technical education and the use of technology among students. To give effect to this, it is necessary to bring all institutions related to education under one ministry.
Comprehensive reforms will be undertaken to establish a quality education system to which all children would have a right to access from pre-school to the tertiary level education under a single curriculum in accordance with international standards.
This will enable young children to develop their inherent talents and skills and also to select the education stream that would provide them with a pathway to the employment market.
From Mother’s Lap to Teacher’s Care
We have identified the pre-school, day-care centre and early childhood development centre as an important stage in the field of education. At these centres, rather than children receiving education that is normally imparted in school, they could be taught valuable human qualities such as love, kindness, and compassion.
- State patronage will be provided to establish one preschool and one day care centre conforming to acceptable standards, in each Grama Seva Niladhari division.
- There will be a monitoring mechanism under the central government to maintain these pre-schools and day-care centres.
- There will be compulsory teacher training, which includes knowledge in psychology for all pre-school teachers. On completion of this training, the teachers will be eligible to receive a government salary.
Re-awakening of School Education
- We strongly believe that ‘free education’ is a fundamental right of the people of our country. Therefore, top priority will be given to allocate adequate funds from the Annual budget to protect and continue the implementation of the free education policy.
- Infrastructure facilities and modern technology will be provided to needy rural schools to improve their quality and to prevent the closure of such schools. An extra allowance will be paid to teachers who serve in schools situated in verydifficult and remote areas.
- Three (03) schools per Divisional Secretariat will be upgraded and provided with all the necessary physical and human resources. These schools will be designated as ‘National Schools’ thus increasing the present number of 353 National Schools to 1000. Steps will be taken to create a Cluster Schools system enabling children in other schools in the same Divisional Secretariat area to benefit from these enhanced facilities.
- In order to end the competition for school admissions, provincial schools will be upgraded to the level of national schools. Furthermore, in each district at least one trilingual, model secondary national school will be built on the lines of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalayas in Homagama and Matara. Twenty such model schools will be built within the first two years.
- Primary schools will be developed into ‘Child-Friendly schools’ and 50,000 Teacher Assistants will be recruited enabling the deployment of two teachers per classroom from Grade I to Grade V.
- In selecting students to State universities, the Z-score is currently determined on a district basis, regardless of the difference in the facilities provided to the main schools as against other schools in the same district which have lesser facilities and teachers. We intend introducing a new scientific method for university admissions based on the school rather than the district.
- Opportunities to enter the Principal grade will be provided to those teachers who possess the required knowledge, skills, training and experience. Furthermore, administrative reforms will be put in place, to provide opportunities not only for teachers who are subject coordinators, class heads, section heads etc., but others who have shown good performance to enhance their skills.
- One of our main objectives is to make the whole teacher community qualified graduates, and to achieve that goal, we will convert the existing eighteen (18) National Colleges of Education to university faculties.
- While appreciating the commitment of teachers, principals, teacher instructors, and education administrative officers, we intended creating one closed service, combining all these services.
- Changes to legal provisions will be made to enable teachers to secure transfers between a national school and a provincial school, without students, the schools or teachers being affected.
- A properly managed school transport service for students and teachers will be established as a public-private partnership.
- Our attention has been drawn to three main areas, viz., (1) curriculum development, (2) teacher training, and (3) infrastructure development in the school system, to enhance the quality of the education system. We will put in place a new scientific method that will look at these three critical areas in a new perspective.
A Student-centered Education System in Place of Examination-centered Education System
The present conventional education system, which has been a burden on the student, teachers and parents will not becontinued for long. Instead, a new education system based on innovation and knowledge will be introduced through which the new generation of students, teachers and parents would have easy access to global knowledge. This will enable students to receive education without stress or delay.
- The purpose of education should be to create a generation that is disciplined, healthy, stress free, and possessing an inquisitive mind instead of a generation that is stressed due to a competitive environment and possessing only book knowledge. Therefore, the school curriculum must be made lighter and assignments flexible so that there would be time in school time-tables for sports, aesthetics, foreign language learning, and the use of library facilities.
- The entire education system will be digitalized and the necessary knowledge, training and infrastructure will be provided to school children, teachers and parents.
A System of Higher Education to produce Technocrats
Our priority will be to produce ‘smart technocrats’ who are globally recognized and who possess internationally acclaimed qualifications required by the local and international employment markets. They will be the leaders of the future world. Sri Lanka should be at the apex of innovation and creativity. Our intention is to have a highly paid and creative labour force.
- Regardless of whether one passes or fails the ‘O’ Levels or ‘A’ Levels, there will be other avenues to pursue technical and vocational courses.
- The quality of all existing vocational education institutes will be evaluated during the first six months. Those found to be suitable will be upgraded as Technological Degree awarding institutes; steps will also be taken to enhance the quality of the courses as well as to increase the salaries and benefits of the academic and non-academic staff of these institutions.
- An island wide network of new ‘technical university colleges’ will be established.
- Four institutes affiliated to the Ceylon German Technical Training Institute (CGTTI) will be established in Matara, Mannar, Batticaloa, and Badulla. The number of existing university colleges will be increased from 6 to 20.
- Any student passing the ‘O’ Levels will be eligible to receive an NVQ certificate. We plan to increase the present scheme of 7 levels of the NVQ to 10. In the Technology stream, students will be able to pursue postgraduate qualifications leading up to Doctorate level. We also intend awarding foreign scholarships to deserving students. The Sri Lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF) will be revised so as to accurately calibrate the mainstream degrees and NVQ degree qualifications.
- We will provide all students in the vocational and technical streams, with financial assistance similar to the Mahapola scholarship scheme, and with subsidized transport, uniforms and computers.
- We will provide facilities for students of universities and other professional bodies to acquire a knowledge of English and other foreign languages, as well as Mathematics. Assistance would also be provided to young inventors to become entrepreneurs.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake: National Peoples Power
Education an Accessible Right to all ages and for all times — Anura Kumara Dissanayake -National Peoples Power
- Establishing an Early Childhood Development centre within 2 km from his/her home or the worksite of the parents
- Recruiting to State service qualified administrators and teachers for the Early Childhood Development centres
- Teaching other national Languages and English in addition to the mother tongue
- Holding multi-religious, multi communal and multicultural programmes in schools to enable students contribute to national unity actively
- Providing a free nutritious meal for every child
- Providing 13 years of compulsory academic or vocational education for every child
- Establishing a primary school with all necessary facilities within 4 km from the child’s home or worksite of the parents
- Creating an evaluation system that assesses the personal skills of students, instead of the harsh educatiaon that targets examinations
- Directing all students for academic or vocational education streams after a national level examination held on selected subjects at the end of Grade 9
- Results of GCE (O/L) and GCE (A/L) examinations to be released within a month
- Promoting Teacher Training Colleges and National Colleges of Education to the level of Degree-awarding institutions
- Encompass teacher profession among the top 10 jobs receiving higher salaries
- University admissions to be carried out within 3 months after the A/L results have been released
- Establishing a new university system for post Degrees in Science and Technology sectors
- Providing facilities for all citizens to be proficient in Sinhalese, Tamil and English Languages, as well as get knowledge about fundamental Law, IT and the use of technological equipment
- Establishing a teacher-student administrative structure to curb ragging and other forms of nuisance in higher educational institutes
- Preventing students in schools and higher educational institutions from falling prey to drugs.
Establishing IT, new syllabuses and methodology within the education system
- Developing IT infrastructures such as business places, research, equipment, centers and high-speed internet access
- To make IT sector a main foreign exchange earner within the next 5 years
- Develop infrastructure to establish 5G technology within the next 5 years
Information Technology (IT)
- Developing the highest human resource that builds a rational Sri Lanka as a community with excellent IT skills and making Sri Lanka the leader in providing IT solutions to the world.
- IT education will be made available from early childhood, while non formal educational systems would be utilized to provide Information Technology Literacy to adults.
- The two disaster management systems created by Sri Lanka, for the first time in the world, will be made the most efficient disaster management systems in the world.