Among the total number of 10,194 Government schools in the island, at least 5,161 schools, have less than 200 students raising concerns of a decreasing number of students. This results in the closure of schools, a performance report from the National Audit Office revealed. Citing statistics from the Education Ministry, the report observed 101 schools [...]

Education

More than 5000 Govt. schools could be closed down permanently

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Among the total number of 10,194 Government schools in the island, at least 5,161 schools, have less than 200 students raising concerns of a decreasing number of students. This results in the closure of schools, a performance report from the National Audit Office revealed.

Citing statistics from the Education Ministry, the report observed 101 schools which had been closed in 2018 alone, while 93 schools were closed by 2017. A comprehensive audit report titled “Performance of the Government Schools in which the number of students relatively minimised” by the National Audit Office investigated if students in schools with less than 200 students – representing over 50 per cent of the total number of Sri Lankan schools – get the required benefits of free education compared to other reputed schools.

The audit report also shed light into the performance of teachers and students and issues with physical and human resources, since there is a tendency of schools with less resources and a low student population closing permanently.

According to the 2017 School Census Report, there were 10,194 Government schools, 859 non-Governmental schools, 265 international Schools, 80 private schools, 26 special schools and 753 pirivena schools in the country.

The total number of Government schools comprises 9841 provincial schools and 353 national schools. Of them , 5,161 had less than 200 students. The total number of students and teachers in those schools amounted to 4,165,964 and 241,591 respectively. Accordingly, the teacher-student ratio in Sri Lanka was 1:17.

The audit report identified these reasons for the existence of schools with a low student population: parents prefer not to send their children to ‘small schools’, teachers were not willing to teach in ‘small schools’, more developed schools located near ‘small schools’ and the existence of isolated villages.

The audit report also indicated that the establishment of new schools, contrary to the criteria introduced by the Education Ministry, also led to the closure of ‘small schools’.

“An attempt has to be made by the principals and teachers of such schools, to prevent them from being closed down. They can not be expected to show improved examination results, if there are issues such as the under utilisation of land, buildings and physical and human resources, the presence of excess teachers in certain schools and a lack of modern physical resources present. The Government has to incur an extensive maintenance cost because of these reasons,” the report also said.

This report also indicated the opportunities available for parents to admit their children to a better school.

When it comes to accessing schools the report noted that children less than 10 years who lived in remote areas had to walk to primary schools more than two kilometers away, while students in grades 6-11 had to go to secondary schools over four kilometers away.

There are schools within the prescribed distances, but it is difficult to reach those schools due to existing natural barriers, the report also identified. Considering the number of schools established after 2000 in the North and East, at least 373 schools had less than 200 students as both provinces struggled to develop due to the civil war.

It was also revealed there are schools which had excess teachers, who do not engage in teaching. The relevant education authorities had not taken action to direct those excess teachers to schools with teacher shortages, the report added.

(SR)

 

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