The most significant development in the field of education in 1999 was the island wide implementation of education reforms. These reforms were meant to minimise the gap between educational attainment and labour market requirements by improving the quality of education, ensuring equity in resource allocation, and providing adequate input and infrastructure facilities. During the year, the curricula and methodology of teaching were completely revised for several grades in the primary and junior secondary stages.

New National Colleges of Education and Teacher Centres were also established. Further, computer education is also being strengthened in schools and steps were taken to establish sophisticated Computer Education Centres on a regional basis.

The shortage of teaching materials and educational equipment due to resource constraints hindered the efficient implementation of reforms. At the same time, the utilisation of foreign funds was not at a satisfactory level. Delays and other shortcomings in the administration procedures also slowed down the implementation of reforms. Despite these shortcomings, the overall response to the general education reforms was satisfactory. In the higher education sector, the Wayamba University was established in 1999. The progress of university education reforms has been slow as there was much diversity in the responses to the proposals for university education reforms. The implementation of tertiary education reforms, based on the recommendations made by the Presidential Task Force on technical education and vocational training, was continued in 1999.

The total expenditure on education in 1999 was Rs.29,294 million, an increase of 10 per cent when compared with 1998. The total expenditure on education as a percent of GDP was 2.6 per cent in 1999.

General Education
The number of government schools increased from 10,313 to 10,394 in 1999. while the student population almost remained unchanged at approximately 4,134,000. At end 1999, there was one school per 6.3 sq. km. with about 400 students per school. There were 188,340 teachers in government schools. Accordingly, the student teacher ratio stood as at 22 at end 1999. The majority of teachers (60 per cent) were trained teachers, while 27 per cent were graduate teachers. The balance consisted of certified teachers, uncertified teachers and volunteer teachers.

General and University Education : Some key indicators

(a) Provisional
(b) Includes government expenditure on higher education 
(c) Excluding the Open University of Sri Lanka 
(d) At the beginning of the year

Sources : Ministry of Education and Higher Education 
              University Grants Commission 
              Central Bank of Sri Lanka 

Technical Education and Vocational Training
The importance of the Technical Education and Vocational Training (TEVT) sub-sector has been gradually increasing, along with the current developments in the labour market. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on TEVT has proposed that the existing training system should be more demand oriented and promote training with private sector participation. The gradual elimination of the government's intervention in the TEVT and limitation to the role of a regulator has also been proposed. Several measures were taken by the government in 1999 towards the implementation of these reforms.

The Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), the apex policy setting body in the TEVT sector, took a number of measures for the systematic development of the sector. The commission has prepared and published Vocational Education and Training (VET) plans for five priority industry sectors namely, gems and jewellery, construction, printing, textiles and garments and hotel and tourism. The government provided Rs.50 million to TVEC to promote skills training in private sector industrial establishments. The TVEC assisted 33 companies in order to expand and upgrade their training facilities. It also took initiatives to publish a Labour Market Information Bulletin on a regular basis.

The government has identified the importance of  developing the TEVT sector in line with the general education and higher education sectors. In the context of the increasing demand for skilled labour in the domestic market as well as in foreign markets, it is important to expand the reforms in this sector. In the meantime, the private sector should be encouraged to undertake more vocational training programmes for prospective students.

Tertiary Education
The promotion of tertiary education to explore new frontiers of knowledge and match labour market requirements is essential in achieving long-term development and social objectives such as economic growth, employment opportunities, higher income and overall improvement of quality of life. The direction and outcome of the tertiary education system in Sri Lanka over the years has not kept pace with the open market economic policies initiated in late 1970s. The antiquated education system, in the context of new needs posed by rapid globalisation, has further eroded the competitiveness of the country’s labour force. As such, Sri Lanka’s tertiary education system has to be re-oriented to meet the challenges of knowledge based future economic development. Knowledge, skills and talent will be crucial factors for growth in the future, while innovation and willingness to change will be the driving forces. The tertiary education system, therefore, needs to be restructured, incorporating modern quality standards, improving access to modern learning techniques, introducing market oriented study programmes and expanding opportunities available, in line with labour market requirements.

The tertiary education sector in Sri Lanka consists of university education and technical education and vocational training (TEVT). The university education system, a monopoly of the government, consists of 13 universities inclusive of an open university. A regulatory authority set up by the government, the University Grants Commission (UGC), selects students for entry into each university, and sets academic standards and policy with respect to university education in the country. Admission to university education is severely competitive. Annually, out of the total number of students (about 183,000) who sit for the G.C.E.(A/L) examination, about 50 per cent become eligible to enter a university. However, no more than 16 per cent of the students, who become eligible, are admitted. From Year 1 entrants to schools of any age cohort, no more than 2 per cent enter a university 13 years later. The competitiveness has adversely affected the expectations of average students.
 

The TEVT sector consists of technical colleges and vocational training institutions owned and operated by the government and fee levying private sector institutions. Training institutions under the purview of the government provide specialised training in sector specific skills, while private sector institutions cater to market needs by fulfilling training requirements in demand driven fields. A considerable number of early school leavers and students, who do not gain admission to universities, seek training in the TEVT sector.

Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka : Issues, Reforms and Prospects The existing university education system in Sri Lanka has not been able to provide the country with a work force ready to face the challenges of a dynamic, market oriented economy. The inability to match modern industry skills and trends in economic and industrial development have shut off job and income opportunities for a substantial number of persons. Courses and programmes directed at government employment, which is being downsized at present, have exacerbated the problem. A high unemployment and under employment rate among university graduates points to a mismatch between supply and demand conditions for graduate employment, reflecting a supply driven education system with little relevance to labour market conditions.

A number of reasons can be cited for the deficiencies in the present tertiary education system. With regard to university education, full-time degree courses still remain a highly restricted and centralised public sector monopoly. The transmission of knowledge is mainly by traditional teaching methods and courses. The uniform curricula, syllabi and teaching materials used do not cater to present day industrial requirements while lagging behind international developments in science and technology.

Standards demanded by industry are gradually increasing both here and abroad. Moreover, as prices have played a very minor role in the provision of tertiary public education services, the resort to budgetary financing as a means of funding university education has resulted in restricting opportunities and reducing the quality of the service provided. The intense competition for scarce government resources has led to the under-financing of this sector. The quality of the TEVT education sector is also being questioned with regard to the relevance of the curricula for demand driven courses.

The government has initiated far-reaching reforms in university education with a view to restructuring and developing the existing public sector tertiary education system. On going reforms aimed at improving the quality of teaching and research include curricula reform and staff development. Curriculum reforms include the introduction of course units and modular systems with a view to giving more flexibility in the choice of courses for students, and the introduction of new degree courses which are demand oriented. Moreover, the mode of assessment is also being changed from end year examinations to continuous assessment. Improvements to staff development are being met with the provision of orientation courses in teaching and learning methodologies to probationary lecturers and refresher courses for other teachers. Meanwhile, facilities for career guidance and counseling are being encouraged with a view to developing university - industry linkages.

Reforms with respect to university financing centre around fund raising activities and revenue generation from nongovernment sources. Reforms in the area of expansion of university education focus on increasing the number of universities and expanding intakes to universities. Meanwhile, universities are also expected to come up with  corporate plans indicating the way forward. Reforms in the TEVT sector are also being implemented with a view to improving the quality of courses and the training provided. Private sector participation in TEVT has been emphasised in the reform agenda.

The most recent initiatives announced by the government in its proposed ‘Tertiary Education Strategy’ give a further impetus to reforming the tertiary education system.1 As part of its unfinished agenda for policy reform, the government is expected to give passage to a new Universities Act. In its broadest terms, the new Universities Act envisions the ultimate goal of producing a wellinformed graduate equipped with problem solving capabilities required by the changing environment and new skills demands.2 More specifically, the objectives of the proposed new Universities Act revolve around improving the quality of education, decentralising admissions policy, increasing access to information technology, reducing the reliance on state funding to incorporate other nongovernment sources of financing and further strengthening industry - university linkages by providing incentives for   private sector participation in post-secondary education and encouraging industry participation in almost all aspects of tertiary education. It is also proposed to develop a master plan for university reforms incorporating a shared vision and mission between stakeholders to tertiary education reform i.e., students, faculty, administrators, government and industry.

Budgetary constraints in the future will necessitate extensive changes to the tertiary education system. New avenues of financing university education on a cost recovery basis should be sought to replace traditional sources of financing. A key area in this regard would be to harness and encourage the private sector to mobilise resources for development of the tertiary education system.

However, opportunities for private sector participation in university education are still minimal. Although there are provisions in the existing Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 to recognise degree courses conducted by private sector institutions, the process involved is tedious and procedures
not clear. So far, only a few private institutions have been given degree awarding status for the conduct of some particular courses. In the circumstances, several private institutions at present conduct courses in collaboration with foreign universities for students to earn degrees from
foreign universities. Such private post-secondary education institutions are growing at a rapid pace without any clear policies or incentives from the government. This situation suggests that there is an unfulfilled compelling demand for private sector tertiary educational institutions.

Gains from allowing private sector institutions in tertiary education are many. International experience with university education suggests that competition among public and private sector universities leads to the development of the entire education system. The quality of education and training will be improved through competition between private and public institutions. Labor market requirements
will be met through a demand driven education system. Opportunities for under privileged groups could be increased with savings generated from private sector participation being used to increase assistance to the most needy students. The government should decide on a maximum number of universities that would be in the public sector and allocate resources to maintain such institutions at an optimum level. In addition, performance based financial assistance could be obtained from international funding agencies to develop such institutions, making Sri Lanka an important learning centre in South Asia.

Changing state ownership of the tertiary education system is not an easy task. Private sector universities have been the cause of wide ranging disputes between the government and several interest groups. These differences could be minimised with awareness programmes, continuous dialogue and compromise. Ongoing discussions in the media on this issue are an excellent move to understand the importance of private sector institutions in the provision of tertiary education in the country. New policies should be presented for public discussion within and out of Parliament. Such open debate will help form public opinion on this issue and provide confidence to the general public on the proposed reforms. The way forward therefore would be for the government to open up tertiary education to the private sector by gradually relaxing existing rigid regulations and offering an appropriate incentive package. At the same time, a regulatory framework should be established to ensure standards, quality and accountability in the new entities and to promote a competitive environment between government and private sector institutions. The existing public tertiary education system should also be improved  with ongoing and proposed reforms aimed at quality
improvements, expanding the availability of opportunities for higher education and ensuring that labour market demands are met by the education system.