Despite their grand declarations, the education policies of Sri Lanka’s presidential candidates—Ranil Wickramasinghe, Sajith Premadasa, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake—are strikingly hollow, offering little more than superficial remedies to a deeply flawed system and failing to address the core issues of outdated curricula, ineffective teacher training, and inadequate infrastructure that have long plagued the nation's educational landscape.
Editorial
As Sri Lanka approaches the 2024 presidential election, the grim reality is that the future of its education system is under severe threat, thanks to a trio of candidates whose promises are not only unconvincing but perilously misguided. Ranil Wickramasinghe, Sajith Premadasa, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, each positioning themselves as saviors of Sri Lanka’s education system, are in fact opportunistic charlatans whose so-called reforms are both laughable and dangerous. They are power-hungry wolves masquerading as “social reformists,” with proposals destined to exacerbate, rather than remedy, the rot within the nation’s education sector.
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| An election campaign rally in a Colombo suburb ahead of the presidential elections on September 21. |
Ranil Wickramasinghe boasts a vision of “Puluwan Sri Lanka,” a society he claims will be “armed with knowledge.” His grandiose proposals—such as the establishment of technical and management universities and a Climate Change International University by 2029—are nothing more than empty platitudes devoid of substance. Wickramasinghe’s promises are a classic example of high-sounding rhetoric lacking any real strategy or understanding of the systemic failures within Sri Lankan education. The notion that these new institutions will somehow reverse decades of educational decline is as absurd as it is unrealistic.
Sajith Premadasa’s “Victory for All” campaign focuses on education, vocational training, and youth, with pledges to fill teacher vacancies, provide free public transport for teachers, and establish a Higher Education Commission to monitor educational quality. While these initiatives may seem beneficial at first glance, they fail to address the deeper, systemic issues. The core problem is not simply a shortage of teachers or transportation; it’s a fundamentally broken educational framework in dire need of a complete overhaul. Premadasa’s proposals are superficial fixes that do nothing to address the underlying issues of corruption, outdated curricula, and the failure to meet the demands of a modern economy.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake offers a range of promises, from multicultural diversity orientation programs for early childhood to increasing bursaries and implementing an “intellectual contribution” payment system for examiners. While these measures might sound progressive, they are, in reality, piecemeal solutions that fail to tackle the broader, systemic issues. Focusing on early childhood programs and examiner payments does little to address the fundamental problems of a dysfunctional education system plagued by corruption and inefficiency.
The core issue is not the creation of new institutions or the introduction of superficial reforms but rather addressing the root failings of the education system. Sri Lanka’s education system is in dire need of a comprehensive overhaul that tackles several critical areas:
- Curriculum and Pedagogy: The current educational framework is woefully outdated, emphasizing rote learning rather than critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. A radical shift towards a curriculum that prepares students for the modern job market and fosters relevant skills is essential.
- Teacher Quality and Training: The quality of education is directly linked to the quality of teaching. Ineffective teacher training and a cadre of outdated and often abusive teachers undermine any attempt at genuine reform. Addressing these issues requires not only better training programs but also stringent measures to ensure high standards of professionalism and ethics among teachers.
- Equitable Access and Infrastructure: Significant investment in educational infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas, is crucial. The focus should be on creating equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their geographic or socio-economic status. This includes improving school facilities, providing necessary learning materials, and ensuring access to quality education for all.
- Integration with the Economy: Education must align with economic needs. This involves designing programs that prepare students for future jobs and integrating vocational training with academic learning. A robust national development plan should guide education reforms to ensure that students are equipped with in-demand skills.
The promises made by the leading presidential candidates are not just inadequate but dangerously misleading. They represent a deceptive illusion of reform that will do little to address the systemic issues plaguing Sri Lankan education. These candidates are not offering real solutions but are instead perpetuating a cycle of ineffectiveness and corruption.
Sri Lankan voters must recognize that these promises are not only unfulfilling but also perilously misleading. The future of the country’s education system depends on more than superficial changes; it requires a deep, systemic overhaul addressing core issues such as curriculum, teacher quality, infrastructure, and economic integration.
The upcoming election is not merely about choosing a new president but about demanding genuine, actionable reforms. Candidates must be held accountable for their promises and pressured to provide concrete plans that address the real problems of the education system. Without such accountability, Sri Lanka’s children will remain the victims of a political charade, inheriting an education system that is as broken as it is outdated.
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