Challenge of education reforms

THE country is abuzz with the talk of education sector reforms, which have drawn both praise and criticism.

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In Sri Lanka education reforms have always proved to be controversial and most political parties buckle under pressure from trade unions and ditch whatever reforms they are planning. It will be interesting to watch how far Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is the Minister of Education and Higher Education, will be able to take this forward.

Under the proposed reforms, the first G.C.E. (Ordinary Level) Examination will be conducted in 2029. This examination will be based on seven subjects of the common core curriculum with five compulsory subjects and two subjects selected from nine elective subjects. The compulsory subjects are mother tongue (Sinhala/Tamil), English Language, Mathematics, Science and Religion and Value Education.

History, Geography, and Second National Language will be among the nine elective subjects, two of which the students can choose as subjects for the O/Ls.