Development, Education and Learning in Sri Lanka
Development, Education and Learning in Sri Lanka

Author: Angela W. Little

Publisher: UCL Press

Published: 2024-06-13

Total Pages: 410

ISBN-13: 1800081553

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Sri Lanka’s early achievements in education and literacy became well known among the international development community in the middle of the last century and were often used to benchmark progress elsewhere. Development, Education and Learning in Sri Lanka presents an illuminating narrative of changing education fortunes and inequalities, based on half a century of research. This research journey was undertaken in collaboration with Sri Lankan researchers island-wide in myriad communities, schools, classrooms and education offices, through conversations with countless parents, teachers, students, community members, trade union officers, politicians and members of local, national and international development agencies, as well as through extensive documentary analysis. The book delineates the distinctive and changing features of the Sri Lankan education system through comparisons with systems elsewhere, through an understanding of national political, economic and social conditions, crises and upheavals, through changes in education policy and through shifting patterns of opportunity among diverse social groups. These analyses are framed by themes in the international development discourse ranging from modernisation to basic needs to globalisation and sustainable development, some of which themes have been influenced by the Sri Lankan story. The book’s overriding messages are the need to understand education and development in a country’s own terms, and to place learning at the heart of education policy, situating it within broader conceptions of the purpose, values and means of development. Praise for Development, Education and Learning in Sri Lanka 'Through rigorous and comprehensive research and a blend of local and global perspectives, this book offers invaluable insights for academics and policymakers alike.' Tara de Mel, Director, Bandaranaike Academy for Leadership and Public Policy and former Secretary, Sri Lanka Ministry of Education 'Reflecting on a career-long engagement with education and development, Angela Little brilliantly co-locates the personal, political and the theoretical. A privilege to read.' Simon McGrath, University of Glasgow 'This passionate engagement with education reform and development offers very instructive lessons for academics and policymakers in Sri Lanka, and beyond.' Siri T. Hettige, University of Colombo 'Fifty years of personal experience in Sri Lanka from many vantage points. A focus on education and society, rather than education alone. And a concern to understand rather than prescribe. This book has no competitors.' Mick Moore, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex

Integrating Early Childhood Care and Education in Sri Lanka
Integrating Early Childhood Care and Education in Sri Lanka

Author: Renu Warnasuriya

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2020-11-13

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13: 1464816182

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Changes in social and family structures, gender roles, and working environments have led some countries to introduce integrated centers for early childhood care and education (ECCE) for children ages zero to five years, combining the advantages of preschools and childcare centers. ECCE services are becoming increasingly important for countries as a support system for working parents. In countries such as Sri Lanka, where female participation in the labor force is low in comparison with international standards, providing affordable childcare services could also help more mothers to enter the labor market. Responding to the needs of employees, child development centers in the plantation areas in Sri Lanka are already providing integrated childcare services for children in this age group. The increasing demand for affordable childcare services and the growing recognition of the benefits of holistic early childhood development have brought ECCE to the forefront of Sri Lanka’s development agenda. Well-designed ECCE systems can improve the lives of children and families and provide significant advantages to national economies. Access to effective ECCE can equalize learning opportunities by improving school readiness and by putting children on a more equal footing at the primary school level. These early advantages have proved to have a lasting impact, affecting both educational and earning potential in the adult years. The significant income inequalities in countries such as Sri Lanka could be addressed through investment in effective ECCE programs, and enhanced understanding of the benefits and potential long-term impacts of ECCE could help governments tailor programs to ensure maximum return on investment. This study seeks to answer the following questions: Is it more effective to provide early childcare and education services separately or in an integrated manner? Under what conditions would the provision of separate care and education services be more effective? The study provides an analysis of the ECCE environment in Sri Lanka, with recommendations for improvement within the current context. The information presented in the study is a starting point to foster the improved understanding of a complex subject area involving multiple stakeholders.

The Challenge of Establishing World-class Universities
The Challenge of Establishing World-class Universities

Author: Jamil Salmi

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 0821378767

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Governments are becoming increasingly aware of the important contribution that high performance universities make to competitiveness and economic growth. This book explores what are the challenges involved in setting up globally competitive universities, also called "elite," or "flagship" universities.

Innovative Strategies in Higher Education for Accelerated Human Resource Development in South Asia
Innovative Strategies in Higher Education for Accelerated Human Resource Development in South Asia

Author: Asian Development Bank

Publisher: Asian Development Bank

Published: 2016-06-01

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13: 9292573438

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This publication is part of a series of six country reports on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Each report presents current arrangements and initiatives in the respective country’s skills development strategies. These are complemented by critical analyses to determine key issues, challenges, and opportunities for innovative strategies toward global competitiveness, increased productivity, and inclusive growth. The emphasis is to make skills training more relevant, efficient, and responsive to emerging domestic and international labor markets. The reports were finalized in 2013 under the Australian AID-supported Phase 1 of Subproject 11 (Innovative Strategies for Accelerated Human Resource Development) of Regional Technical Assistance 6337 (Development Partnership Program for South Asia).

The Rebirth of Education
The Rebirth of Education

Author: Lant Pritchett

Publisher: CGD Books

Published: 2013-09-30

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1933286776

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Despite great progress around the world in getting more kids into schools, too many leave without even the most basic skills. In India’s rural Andhra Pradesh, for instance, only about one in twenty children in fifth grade can perform basic arithmetic. The problem is that schooling is not the same as learning. In The Rebirth of Education, Lant Pritchett uses two metaphors from nature to explain why. The first draws on Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom’s book about the difference between centralized and decentralized organizations, The Starfish and the Spider. Schools systems tend be centralized and suffer from the limitations inherent in top-down designs. The second metaphor is the concept of isomorphic mimicry. Pritchett argues that many developing countries superficially imitate systems that were successful in other nations— much as a nonpoisonous snake mimics the look of a poisonous one. Pritchett argues that the solution is to allow functional systems to evolve locally out of an environment pressured for success. Such an ecosystem needs to be open to variety and experimentation, locally operated, and flexibly financed. The only main cost is ceding control; the reward would be the rebirth of education suited for today’s world.

World Development Report 2018
World Development Report 2018

Author: World Bank Group

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2017-10-16

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13: 1464810982

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Every year, the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR) features a topic of central importance to global development. The 2018 WDR—LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise—is the first ever devoted entirely to education. And the time is right: education has long been critical to human welfare, but it is even more so in a time of rapid economic and social change. The best way to equip children and youth for the future is to make their learning the center of all efforts to promote education. The 2018 WDR explores four main themes: First, education’s promise: education is a powerful instrument for eradicating poverty and promoting shared prosperity, but fulfilling its potential requires better policies—both within and outside the education system. Second, the need to shine a light on learning: despite gains in access to education, recent learning assessments reveal that many young people around the world, especially those who are poor or marginalized, are leaving school unequipped with even the foundational skills they need for life. At the same time, internationally comparable learning assessments show that skills in many middle-income countries lag far behind what those countries aspire to. And too often these shortcomings are hidden—so as a first step to tackling this learning crisis, it is essential to shine a light on it by assessing student learning better. Third, how to make schools work for all learners: research on areas such as brain science, pedagogical innovations, and school management has identified interventions that promote learning by ensuring that learners are prepared, teachers are both skilled and motivated, and other inputs support the teacher-learner relationship. Fourth, how to make systems work for learning: achieving learning throughout an education system requires more than just scaling up effective interventions. Countries must also overcome technical and political barriers by deploying salient metrics for mobilizing actors and tracking progress, building coalitions for learning, and taking an adaptive approach to reform.

Education for All and Multigrade Teaching
Education for All and Multigrade Teaching

Author: Angela W. Little

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-09-25

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 9781402066474

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This book, based on original research, explores the challenges and opportunities in multigrade teaching in Colombia, England, Ghana, Malawi, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Peru, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam. It raises awareness among policymakers and practitioners in education of the realities of multigrade classes. Moreover, the book explores the implications for teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and educational planners.