Sri Lankan Education Systems and It’s Pressure to the Children

Education is a unique and prestigious social element which helps to develop the physical and mental skills along with knowledge and good manners. While providing knowledge and skills it further induces the creativity and new ideas and makes the human a versatile one.

Even though Sri Lanka has a good position in literacy ranking among the Asian countries, we can find lots of invisible defects in the Sri Lankan education system when comparing to several other countries.  Though changes have been made in the education system according to the changing technological world, the rate of change is too low and not well redefined. The internal corruptions and lack of responsibilities are the reasons for this.

When we see in the view of a vocational point we will find a lot of defects in this educational system. The school syllabuses are also made to change according to the need of time considering its improvements.  But there are questions which always provides a negative response, Are these changes achieved their goal? If not, are the mechanisms for these changes conducted in a proper way? Most of the educational policies of the country doesn’t pay much attention to the trends and innovations but to the history and literature. It is good to know the footprints of the past but it is best to seek for the new track. So the children of this era learn to memorize but not to create this education system.

Finland has the world’s best education policies. Children start to study at the age of seven. Till ten children remain as children, not as students.  Education there is fed to them like a simple game.  This enables the children there to learn themselves and it induces a desire to learn.  But to the contrast children of Sri Lanka start to learn at the age of 4. Children are tested for their memorizing power with written exams.  And the Skills of a student is measured only using these memorizing powers. Also, this system doesn’t allow the child to think, and at the same time, parents are pressurized for their children’s education.

Though this is justified that the parent should pay attention to the child’s educational activities, indirectly the child in this 21^st century is taught to rely on their parent at the beginning of his life.

A student in Sri Lanka must spend almost 20 years in studying before he could earn a good job.  But for few years there are problems for the students with the incompatibility of their studies with the job market of Sri Lanka.  Though there are many job opportunities outside the country, lack of practical knowledge and innovative mind most of the Sri Lankans become unqualified. So altogether a student under the Sri Lankan education system is unaware of his job opportunities and his future.

After finishing university most of the students depend on government because they are not trained well to stand on their own by this system.  When we look at the people with work, there also only half of them work in a job relevant to their field. Rest of them are doing what they got without self-satisfaction. So altogether the youths of Sri Lanka waste 20 years of their life for something they not needed much for their life.

So altogether the policies like the free education system and education for all had increased the total literacy percentage of the population. But they failed to make Sri Lankan as a complete person who can adapt to any situation and stand on his own.  Hence, Children should be induced to think on their own, and they should be provided necessary supports to think and research and they should not be burdened. The students with creativity, practical skills should be paid attention rather only focusing memorizing power. Like the western education system, students should be allowed to select their own course after the age of 14. They should be well counseled and directed. Then only youth can utilize their young age successfully and usefully.

This will decrease the age level when a youngster starts to earn and the number of jobless youngsters. This will enable the education system to provide better youngsters to the country. Sri Lanka can widen the jobs are new innovations also will arise from the island. These all will provide a better educated and well-defined society and a prosperous Sri Lanka. If you like to add more value to my blog comment your suggestions below.