Transparency in education reforms
View(s):
Everybody is talking about it: The proposed new education reforms. It’s a social media discourse and widely debated, at least among opposition politicians, correct?No, I stand corrected because the details of the reforms are ‘behind closed doors’, according to Dr. Anushka Kahandagamage, a civil society activist. In an article which appeared in a well-known news platform, Dr. Kahandagamage said transparency is a fundamental principle of any governing body and the now-ruling party strongly criticised the previous government for its lack of transparency and alleged corruption. They pledged that, if elected, they would lead with openness and accountability.
She says that when a government engages in national policy-making, it must listen to the people and integrate their perspectives into decision-making. On the subject of education, she says today most people hear about education reforms through social media, often without context or clarity. Although the Ministry of Education recently announced reform plans, the public remains largely unaware of their specifics.
“On the Ministry of Education website, there is no mention of the current education reforms taking place. According to the site, the only documented reforms are from 2023,” she wrote, adding, “If children’s education is truly to be protected, it must be shielded not from public engagement, but from secrecy, exclusion and political manipulation masquerading as reform.”
She is absolutely right. While there is a need to discuss these reforms, which will impact on current and future generations, particularly with civil society actors (Prime Minister and Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya is well aware of the need to engage with civil society having been a respected academic, civil activist and educator herself), one segment of society that is often ignored in the education reforms discourse (and also in the past) is the business community whose input is valuable in shaping education to prepare students and undergraduates with skills to meet the ever-changing workplace and its culture. The business community must be consulted on school and university subjects that would help enhance the prospects of students when they enter the job market.
Consider these numbers and the influence of businesses [mainly small and medium-sized (SME) entities]: According to the Census 2024 and its preliminary findings, the number of employees in all public and semi-government sector institutions is reported as 1.15 million. But the private sector employs the bulk of the workforce at almost 3.5 million people, whilst the self-employed alone accounts for 2.7 million of the sum total. SMEs represent 75 per cent of local businesses and 45 per cent of total employment (including the public sector).
So you see, Sri Lanka’s economy is driven by SMEs and the private sector, but in today’s discourse on education reforms, they are not consulted.
Well this was also the grouse of my friend Arty, the intrepid entrepreneur. “I say…why isn’t the chambers of commerce which represent the bulk of the business community consulted on these new education reforms?,” he asked during a call on Thursday morning. “Well……this has been an eternal perception by all administrations: the business community is widely perceived as making unconscionable profits and is not important in public policy consultation,” I said. “That is a wrong interpretation because SMEs in particular account for nearly 50 per cent of all jobs in the country,” he said.
“Yes, it’s a fact. The new regime should steer clear of past practices and, if and when it chooses to engage with civil society on the new reforms, it must also include the business community in this discussion,” I said. “If you look at the drama over US tariffs, the government has rightly involved the private sector in these conversations as high tariffs would result in job losses, in particular, in the apparel sector,” he said, adding that respected entities diligently pay their taxes and should not be painted with the same brush like a ‘few bad eggs’ and corrupt businesses who cook up the books to avoid taxes.
Education was also a subject discussed by the trio under the margosa tree. Fetching my second mug of tea from the kitchen, their conversation, which I overheard from the window, went like this: “Monawada aanduwa katha karana mae iskola adyapanayata karanna yana wenaskam (What are these changes to school education that the government is talking about?),” asked Kussi Amma Sera. “Magey duwa yana gamey iskole guruwaruwath mae gena wisthara danney nae (Even the teachers of the school that my daughter goes to in the village are unaware about the details),” noted Serapina. “Magey balaporuththuwa nam mae wenaskam walin gamey iskolawalata thava guruwaru saha pahasukam dei kiyala (I hope this would help in ensuring more teachers in our village schools and more facilities),” added Mabel Rasthiyadu.
If there is some merit in what the government is doing, it should be in the realm of vocational training. Students can now join an Advanced Level vocational stream for the 2025/2026 academic year, straight after completing the OL exam, the results of which are not compulsorily required for admission to this stream. They can pursue a skills-based education and obtain a vocational qualification (NVQ Level 4) that is recognised both locally and internationally, while continuing their school education up to Grade 13 (AL level).
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in a recent speech in Parliament responding to criticism of the new education reforms, said there is an urgent need for comprehensive education reforms. “When discussions about education reform arose, issues such as whether history is included in the curriculum or not became the main topic. However, what is being proposed here is by no means merely a curriculum revision,” he said.
To buttress the government’s argument on the urgent need for education reforms, he said there is a need for a balancing act in the realm of maximising the available resources. “In 2023, there were 98 schools with no new admissions, 115 schools had fewer than 10 students, 406 schools had fewer than 20 students and 752 schools had fewer than 30 students. There were 1,141 schools with fewer than 40 students and 1,506 schools with fewer than 50 students. This means approximately 15 per cent of the entire school system falls into these categories. Moreover, there are 3,144 schools with fewer than 100 students. This means approximately one-third of all government schools have fewer than 100 students. Is this a healthy situation,” he asked.
All these numbers are fine and duly acknowledged as problems but at the end of the day the government, cannot and should not, on its own decide the future of the nation’s children. Without consultation with key stakeholders, including the business community, the regime should not attempt to push through education reforms. Transparency is the key.
While the intention of the government may be honourable, without a consultative process on education reforms, the whole exercise would inevitably lead to changes by the next government (when a new regime takes over), purely as a political tool to spite the previous regime and not because they are needed. The current rulers shouldn’t fall into this trap.
Hitad.lk has you covered with quality used or brand new cars for sale that are budget friendly yet reliable! Now is the time to sell your old ride for something more attractive to today's modern automotive market demands. Browse through our selection of affordable options now on Hitad.lk before deciding on what will work best for you!