by Arundathie Abeysinghe

Government plans to change the education system have sparked strong protests from teachers, parents, and academics. Criticism centres on flawed teaching materials and the additional costs to families, in a country still coping with the damage caused by recent extreme weather events and where many people still face great economic hardship

Colombo (AsiaNews) – The education plans proposed by the Sri Lankan government are sparking a growing wave of criticism and protests from teachers’ unions, who are pressuring the authorities to engage in serious discussions regarding child safety, rising inequality, and the additional costs imposed on families.

The reforms are targeted primarily first-grade and sixth-grade students starting this year, while changes for secondary schools have been postponed until 2027 following the protests.

The plans call for a modular, student-centred curriculum, with greater emphasis on practical skills and the use of technology. However, according to teachers' unions, the new elements introduced by the Ministry of Education have serious shortcomings.

In some cases, rather than revise the curriculum, some pages have been removed piecemeal, while other materials have already been circulated among tutors and private teachers, raising concerns about content management.

Last week, Sajith Premadasa, leader of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, spoke in parliament citing a “serious error” in a Buddhist textbook, which allegedly used the Ashoka Chakra, a symbol associated with Emperor Ashoka, instead of the Dharmachakra, the wheel representing the teachings of the Buddha.

Premadasa noted that the image in the textbook does not even match the one in the official state symbol, calling on the Minister of Education to immediately correct the error.

Criticism has also come from the academic world. At a press conference in Colombo, Ayomi Irugalbandara, a professor in the Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka, stated that the reforms appear to be inspired by foreign educational models, without real attention to local social and cultural conditions.

In particular, Prof Irugalbandara questioned the idea of ​​integrating the use of social media into school curricula, noting that several other countries are going in the opposite direction, limiting access to digital platforms for children under 15.

Further concerns involve the use of digital technologies in the new curricula. The Inter-University Students’ Federation Convener, Madushan Chandrajith, criticised the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) module for sixth-grade students, which includes QR codes linked to a controversial YouTube channel.

“There should be clear accountability mechanisms for material linked through digital platforms used in schools,” he said.

For Duminda Nagamuwa, secretary of the Workers’ Struggle Centre, the approach to reform is wrong since many families are unable to afford the additional costs.

“Under the new reforms,” he said, “parents are expected to buy smartphones or tablet computers required for students to access QR code-linked educational content which majority of parents simply cannot afford.”

According to Nagamuwa, in forging ahead with reforms, the government is ignoring opposition from academics, teachers, and other key stakeholders.

Scholars Prashanthi Samarasinghe and Sampath Wijewardena told AsiaNews that any effective education reform should begin with the direct involvement of teachers, principals, and researchers, who work in daily contact with students.

“At present,” they said, “teachers and school principals are on a war footing. They believe the reforms are poorly conceived, full of flaws and, above all, impossible to implement under current conditions.”

The two experts also highlighted the great infrastructural disparities among the country's schools. Many schools lack basic equipment such as interactive smart boards, the purchase of which is sometimes paid for directly by parents.

The situation is particularly critical in the areas recently affected by Cyclone Ditwa. In the districts of Badulla, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya, numerous schools are still damaged, and many students have been unable to resume regular classes.

“If these reforms were implemented without taking this reality into account, many children would risk being permanently excluded from education,” the scholars warn.

• sri lanka
• school reform
• opposition
• criticism
• students
• teachers
• principals. government