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UNDP: Technology critical to transform Lanka’s education sector

With the onset of COVID-19, the world has seen disruptions to traditional forms of education. In Sri Lanka, since the first wave and the resulting lockdown in March 2020, schools have been largely dysfunctional with the levels of online learning varying between public and private institutions.
To this end, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka convened a virtual discussion recently, for the second in a series of three policy discussions on inequalities and human development.
The session focused on ‘Accessing Education: Technology’s Potential for Divergence and Convergence’, a paper commissioned by UNDP and authored by Prof. Ajith de Alwis, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Professor of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Moratuwa. The paper examines the use of technology in the education sphere and the future of education in a post-COVID context.
Turning the lens on Sri Lanka, Prof. de Alwis stated, “The world is shaped by technology. Education must provide for this changing world. There is a race between education and technology – if technology is lagging within the education system, we will be positioning students for a world of work that they will not be suitable for”. The paper calls for a focus on blended learning, remote labs and flipped classrooms to enable students to prepare for a future in which technology will be predominant.
Addressing participants at the discussion, Robert Juhkam, Resident Representative, UNDP in Sri Lanka, stated, “Embracing technology helps ensure continuity and resilience; it allows the education system to carry on in the face of external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and other unforeseen exigencies. More importantly, bridging the digital divide will help tackle a range of other social inequities such as the gender divide, urban-rural disparities and challenges faced by the urban poor. However, let us not forget technology’s potential to create divergence. It is an integral aspect to be carefully understood in the process of equitable education for all. Bridging the digital divide will open access to quality education to all and reinforce other national efforts towards SDG attainment, leaving no one behind.”
Joining the dialogue, Prof. Kapila Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Education stated “Education is a primary driver for sustainable development. By ensuring inclusive and quality education for all, we also have the potential to catalyze the achievement of the SDGs.”
The panel discussion included insights from Himali Athaudage, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation; Indika De Zoysa, Vice President, Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Technologies Lanka Co (Pvt) Ltd; Dr. Sujata Gamage, Senior Research Fellow, LIRNEasia; Dr. Frank Van Capelle, Education Specialist, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and was moderated by Ayushka Nugaliyadda, Economist and Systems Design Lead of the Citra Social Innovation Lab.
The discussion paves the way to strengthen the final recommendations of the policy paper, which will discuss key nuances pertaining to intersections between education and technology in Sri Lanka, to support policy makers and other stakeholders in this space. The third policy discussion of the inequalities and human development series will take place in the coming months under the theme of ‘Gender Inequalities: Between social norms and power imbalance’.
News
Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation plague most schools, say Principals

By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakkone and Chaminda Silva
Around 500 schools across the country lack access to safe drinking water for students, Piyasiri Fernando, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Principals’ Association, has said.
Fernando told The Island that a significant number of schools did not have facilities to store water properly. He said many schools lacked sanitary facilities.
Fernando also noted that in some schools in the Eastern, North Central, Uva, North Western, and Central provinces, as well as in approximately 20% of schools located near coastal areas, there are no proper toilet facilities. Despite the issuance of circulars specifying the number of toilets to be built, based on the number of students, some schools still did not have sanitary facilities as per those guidelines, the Secretary of the Principals’ Association said.
According to the School Census -2023 (2024) conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics there were 3,882,688 schoolchildren, 830,021 in National Schools and 3,052,667 in Provincial Schools.
Out of 10,096 schools, 1,506 have 1-50 students, 1,638 have 51-100 students and 2,128 have 101-200 students. Only 67 schools have 3,001-4,000 students, while only 33 have more than 4,000 students. 3,117 or 30.9 percent schools have fewer than 10 teachers.
News
Julie meets Namal at SLPP HQ

US Ambassador, Julie Chung, visited the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) office on Friday (14) for discussions with party representatives.
Ambassador Chung arrived at the SLPP Headquarters around 10:00 a.m. and engaged in talks for over an hour and a half. Her visit followed a request by the SLPP to meet her.
During the meeting, she held discussions with SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, former Members of Parliament Sanjeewa Edirimanne, C.B. Ratnayake, and Jayantha Ketagoda, as well as current MP D.V. Chanaka. Milinda Rajapaksha, an advisor to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was also present.
The visit comes amid calls from SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa for an investigation into USAID fund recipients in Sri Lanka.
News
Speaker agrees to probe allegations of ‘unethical funding’ by USAID

By Saman Indrajith
Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne informed Parliament on Friday (14) that he intended to take necessary action regarding requests made by MPs concerning allegations over USAID funding in Sri Lanka.
He made this statement in response to a question raised by Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, who sought a clarification on the matter.
Jayasekara noted that SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa had sent a letter to the Speaker calling for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate reports about unethical USAID funding in the country. He questioned whether such a committee would be formed and the matter formally examined.
In response, Speaker Wickramaratne confirmed that he was planning to take appropriate action on the issue.
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