Education in Sri Lanka

Educational oversight Minister of Education	Ministry of Education Susil Premajayantha
National education budget	Rs. (% of GDP) (2007)
Primary languages	Sinhala,Tamil and English
Provincial system Established Compulsory Education = 9 yrs Image File history File links Flag_of_Sri_Lanka. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... Several countries have government departments named the Ministry of Education Komisja Edukacji Narodowej of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1773. ... Funding or financing is to provide capital (funds), which means money for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... a resource to look at current viewpoints Categories: Indo-Aryan languages | Languages of Sri Lanka | Wikipedia cleanup | Language stubs ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
Literacy (2003)  • Men  • Women	92.3% 94.8% 90.0%
Enrollment  • Primary  • Secondary  • Post-secondary	(%)
Attainment  • Secondary diploma  • Post-secondary diploma	< % %

Sri Lanka's population is highly educated with a literacy rate of 92%, higher than that expected for a third world country. Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates of South Asia.This can mainly be attributed to the free education system in Sri Lanka. All levels of education, from primary to higher education, are funded and overseen by the Ministry of Education (Sri Lanka). World literacy rates by country The traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... ... Educational attainment is a term commonly used by statisticans and the US Census Bureau to refer to the highest degree of education an individual has completed. ... Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... ... The UN Human Development Index is one measure of a Third World country Third World was a term first coined by Jawaharlal Nehru (First Prime Minister of India), originally to distinguish nations that aligned with neither the West or with the East during the Cold War, including many members of... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir). ... Free education is a policy stance in politics that ensures education for its citizens up to a certain level. ...

History

In 1938 the education system in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was made free under the Universal Franchise granted in 1931. The late Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara took the initiative in establishing free education when he was the Minister of Education. Under this initiative the government established Madhya Maha Vidyalayas (MMV - Central Colleges) that were scattered around the island to provide education to all. The medium provided was either in Sinhala or Tamil. Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Free education is a policy stance in politics that ensures education for its citizens up to a certain level. ... Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල, ISO 15919: , IPA: [], earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ...

Sri Lanka has many boys only and girls only schools. Most of these schools were constructed during the colonial period, by the British. Some of the famous schools launched during the colonial era are Royal College in Colombo, St. Thomas College in Mount Lavinia, Trinity College in Kandy. Sri Lanka also has many catholic schools such as St.Joseph's College St.Benedict's College and St.Peter's College in Colombo and St. Anthony's in Kandy. (For a general meaning see Colony) The Colonial Era is most commonly used to describe the period in history where Europeans, in particular, of The Old World began to colonize the The New World of The Americas. ... Royal College, Colombo was founded in January 1835. ... St. ... Trinity College, Kandy founded in 1872, has a long history as a premier educational institution in Sri Lanka with a distinctive tradition as an Independent Private School. ...

In 1942 a special committee was appointed to observe the education system and among the suggestions that followed, the following still play an important role: 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

• i. Make available to all children a good education free of charge, so that education ceases to be a commodity purchasable only by the urban affluent.
• ii. Make national languages the media of instruction in place of English so that opportunities for higher education, lucrative employment open only to small number of the urban affluent, would become available to others as well.
• iii. Rationalize the school system so that educational provision is adequate, efficient and economical.
• iv. Ensure that every child is provided with instruction in the religion of his/her parents.
• v. Protect teachers from exploitation by managers of schools.
• vi. Make adequate provision for adult education.

After independence, the number of schools and the literacy rate of the people substantially increased.According to the Ministry of Statistics, today there are approximately 9,830 public schools serving close to 4,030,000 students, all around the island.

During the colonial times, late Buddhist heroes like Anagarika Dharmapala together with foreigners like Henry Steel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky of the Buddhist Theosophical Society installed Buddhist schools to foster Sinhala students with an education rich in Buddhist values and also in order to bring Buddhism to life, at a time, it was slowly fading away from the people. Most of these schools were established in the capitals of the major provinces of Sri Lanka. Some of the most prominent ones among them are Ananda College, Colombo; Nalanda College, Colombo; Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo; Isipathana College, Colombo; Kingswood College, Kandy; Dharmaraja College, Kandy; Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala; Mahamaya Vidyalaya, Kandy; Mahinda College, Galle. Many students from these schools have gone on to become notable personalities, professors, cricketers, Ministers and even Prime Ministers of the country. Anagarika Dharmapala (1864 - 1933) was born David Hewavitarne in Colombo, Sri Lanka. ... Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907), founder and first president of the Theosophical Society, is well-known as the first prominent person of Western descent to make a formal conversion to Buddhism. ... Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Hahn (also Hélène) (July 31, 1831 (O.S.) (August 12, 1831 (N.S.)) - May 8, 1891 London, England), better known as Helena Blavatsky or Madame Blavatsky was the founder of Theosophy. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual doctrines and altruistic living known as Theosophy. ... Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල, ISO 15919: , IPA: [], earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Sri Lanka is divided into eight provinces for the purposes of local governance. ... Ananda College, established November 1, 1886 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society, is one of Sri Lankas oldest schools. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Nalanda College is a Buddhist school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Visakha Vidyalaya is a leading girls school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Isipathana Vidyalaya. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Kingswood College is a school first started on Pavilion Street in Kandy, Sri Lanka. ... The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy Kandy (මහනුවර/ සෙංකඩගල in Sinhala, கண்டி in Tamil) is the name used by British invaders for the city of Senkadagala (Mahanuwara) in the centre of Sri Lanka. ... Dharmaraja College,Kandy, established June 30, 1887 by the Theosophical Society, is one of Sri Lankas oldest Buddhist schools. ... The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy Kandy (මහනුවර/ සෙංකඩගල in Sinhala, கண்டி in Tamil) is the name used by British invaders for the city of Senkadagala (Mahanuwara) in the centre of Sri Lanka. ... Maliyadeva College is a college located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. ... Å« The 88 feet giant Buddha Statue on top of the Ethagala. ... The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy Kandy (මහනුවර/ සෙංකඩගල in Sinhala, கண்டி in Tamil) is the name used by British invaders for the city of Senkadagala (Mahanuwara) in the centre of Sri Lanka. ... Mahinda College is a famous school in Galle, Sri Lanka that was founded in 1892 by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. ... Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with Gaul in English, in Sinhalese, IPA /gaːlːə/) is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. ...

Many schools were built in the post colonial era. However, the established schools who had their origins in the colonial era dominate social life in Sri Lanka mainly due the network of old boys and old girls. D. S. Senanayake College is a notable exception. This is among the few schools that have gained prestige within a very short span of its existence. D.S.Senanyake College is one of the premiere educational institutes in Sri Lanka. ...

Structure

Sri Lanka's education structure is divided into five parts: primary, junior secondary,senior secondary,collegiate and tertiary. Primary education lasts six years (grades 1-5) and at the end of this period, the students write an exam called the Scholarship exam. This exam allows students with exceptional skills to move on to better schools. After primary education, the junior secondary education lasts for 4 years (grades 6-9). Accord to the law of Sri Lanka, it is compulsory that all children go to school till grade 9 (age 14) at which point they can choose to continue further or opt out and engage in a job or farming. However, the Ministry of Education strongly advises all students to continue with their studies at least till the G.C.E. Ordinary Level in order to obtain a suitable job, later on. After this period, the students go through senior secondary education for 2 years ( grades 10-11) to sit for the G.C.E Ordinary Level examination. The students must pass this examination to go on with Collegiate education. Collegiate education lasts for 2 years (grades 12-13) At the end of this, there is another examination called the G.C.E Advanced Level.On successful completion of this exam, students can go on to, pursuing tertiary education(University and beyond). This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Students attend a lecture at a tertiary institution. ...

Due to the variety of ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, there are many schools teaching only, either Sinhala or Tamil, leaving aside the global language, English.The famous colleges in major cities such as Colombo and Kandy, have schools which have both languages as mediums of instruction. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල, ISO 15919: , IPA: [], earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy Kandy (මහනුවර/ සෙංකඩගල in Sinhala, கண்டி in Tamil) is the name used by British invaders for the city of Senkadagala (Mahanuwara) in the centre of Sri Lanka. ...

University System

University education is also free. This is noteworthy to mention, especially due to the fact that, Sri Lanka is named a third world country. However less than 10% of those qualified get admission to the State Universities. Admission to the university system is based on the highly competitive GCE Advanced Level examination. So, only the top students from urban district get the chances of having tertiary education. Children from remote districts can get in with lower marks. As a result, many students who are not granted admission offers, take up jobs, do vocational studies, CIMA, Computer Studies or go abroad to pursue their studies in a foreign university. Some enroll themselves in one of the Degree awarding, state-funded or private, institutes in Sri Lanka. Students who do not qualify for university entrance can also engage in higher education as external students of traditional universities or at the Open university of Sri Lanka. This is why, many intellectuals often express the need of Private Universities, where students could study in their home country at a lower cost. The North Colombo Medical College (NCMC) was one such institute. Prior to its nationalization, it produced some of the best doctors in Sri Lanka. The UN Human Development Index is one measure of a Third World country Third World was a term first coined by Jawaharlal Nehru (First Prime Minister of India), originally to distinguish nations that aligned with neither the West or with the East during the Cold War, including many members of... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ...

There are also vocational technical colleges which specialize in mechanical and electronic subjects. There are currently 15 major state funded universities in Sri Lanka. The most prominent ones are University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, University of Sri Jayawardhenapura University of Moratuwa, University of Peradeniya, University of Jaffna, University of Ruhuna, and Eastern University of Sri Lanka. In recent years with changers to the University Act institutes have been given permission to grant their own degrees, the most prominent is the government owned Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Except in Medicine, Engineering and the Sciences, many University graduates are unemployed as there is no demand for what they have learned. A college (Latin collegium) can be the name of any group of colleagues; originally it meant a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con-, together + leg-, law). As a consequence members of colleges were originally styled fellow and still are in some places. ... The University of Colombo (also known as UoC), Sri Lankas oldest university, is located in the urban centre of Colombo. ... University of Kelaniya The University of Kelaniya is one of the main State Universities of Sri Lanka. ... Sri jayawardanapur is one of the univercitys of Sri Lanka ... The University of Moratuwa, located on the banks of the Bolgoda Lake in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, is one of the top technical universities in Sri Lanka. ... University of Peradeniya is the second oldest university of Sri Lanka and is a renowned state university, funded by the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka . ... University of Jaffna // Jaffna University has two campuses. ... The University of Ruhuna is a university located in Matara, Sri Lanka. ... The Eastern University of Sri Lanka is a university situated in the eastern province of Sri Lanka, Batticaloa. ... An eye catching view of SLIITs Malabe campus. ...

For a complete list, see : Sri Lankan universities ...

Apart from these, the Ministry of Education (Sri Lanka) has launched a non-formal education program which allows school left-outs and adults who did not complete their school education, to earn a living, through self-employment. Most of these courses are held at community centres and they cover a wide range of fields such as dress-making, beauty culture, hair-dressing, stitching, carpentry, plumbing, painting and so on. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Many see natural beauty in the folded petals of a rose This page is about the pleasant phenomenon. ... Turn of the century sewing in Detroit, Michigan An old sewing machine Sewing is an ancient craft involving the stitching of cloth, animal skins, furs, or other materials, using needle and thread. ... A carpenter is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry -- a wide range of woodworking that includes constructing buildings, furniture, and other large objects out of wood. ... A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for potable water systems and the drainage of waste. ... For building painting, see painter and decorator. ...

Private Schools

There has been a considerable increase in the number of private schools in Sri Lanka, due to the emergence of the upper-middle class crowd. Many of the private schools have access to newer facilities than state run schools. Currently there are 33 non-fee-levying Assisted Private Schools and 33 fee levying autonomous Private Schools, in addition to the Government Schools. Out of them, most famous ones are St. Joseph's College,Colombo,St Benedict's College Colombo Musaeus College,Colombo,Holy Family Convent,Colombo (Semi-government school) and Ladies College, Colombo,St Bridget's Convent, Colombo. Saint Josephs College could refer to: Saint Josephs College of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the name of Saint Josephs University prior to 1978. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Ladies College in Colombo, Sri Lanka in Private girls only school. ... St Bridgets Convent in Colombo, Sri Lanka is a Private girls school. ...

International Schools

International schools in Sri Lanka are not restricted to the expatriate community, anyone with the ability and willingness to pay can join these schools. There is also no regulation or control by the Ministry of Education, due to this the standard of education varies greatly between schools. The schools for mainly expatriate children charge huge fees and can therefore provide good facilities and high standards. International schools in Colombo -Overseas School in Colombo -Colombo International School -Elizabeth Moir School -Asian International School -The British School in Colombo ...

Overseas School of Colombo is the leading international school for expatriates, the curriculum followed leads to an IB Diploma. This, together with The British School in Colombo are the sole IB World Schools in the country. The majority of other International schools prepares students for the Edexcel General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary , Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A2) Level examinations, which is by far the most popular qualification. Preparation for Cambridge Examinations is also offered by a few schools but is not very popular. The Overseas School of Colombo is a multinational English medium international school located in Battaramulla, a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka. ... The IB World School logo The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (often incorrectly referred to as just the IB) is an educational programme taught in one of three languages - English, French or Spanish - and is intended for students in their final two years of secondary school, often before entering university. ... A total of 1470 schools (as of September 2005) offer one or more of the three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes; the majority of these offer the IB Diploma Programme. ... Edexcel is a London-based for-profit company and one of England, Wales and Northern Irelands five main examination boards. ... The General Certificate of Education or GCE is a secondary-level academic qualification, which was used in Britain and continues to be used in some former British colonies. ...

See also

• Sri Lankan universities
• List of universities and colleges in Sri Lanka

... All the autonomous degree granting universities and most degree granting Institutes in Sri Lanka are government funded. ...

External links

• Official Website of the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka
• The Educational System of Sri Lanka
• Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka
• Education Guide - Sri Lanka
• Official Website for A/L students - Sri Lanka

v • d • e

 Education by country (Portal)

Australia • Austria • Bangladesh • Belgium • Brazil • Canada • China, People's Republic of (Hong Kong, Macau) • Republic of China (Taiwan) • Colombia • Denmark • Egypt • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • India • Iran • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Japan • Mexico • Netherlands • Nicaragua • Norway • Pakistan• Philippines• Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Singapore • South Korea • Spain • Sri Lanka • Sweden • Turkey • United Kingdom • United States • More... Image File history File links Nuvola_apps_bookcase. ... A kindergarten classroom in Afghanistan. ... Image File history File links Nuvola_apps_bookcase. ... Educational oversight Minister of Education Ministry of Education Tu Cheng-sheng National education budget NT$ 608. ... This is a list of articles on education organized by country: Education in Afghanistan Education in Albania Education in Algeria Education in Argentina Education in Armenia Education in Australia Education in Austria Education in Bangladesh Higher Education in Bangladesh Education in Belarus Education in Belgium Education in Bolivia Education in...