Recent Developments in Pre School Sector
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Children’s Secretariat have identified the need to regulate and maintain the standard of pre-schools as places where necessary stimulation for social and cognitive development in early childhood could be provided. Guidelines for pre-schools have been prepared. And are needed to encourage the pre-schools to improve their facilities and the quality of pre-school. 

The government responsibility for pre-schools began to receive attention with the formation of the Children’s Secretariat in the early 1990’s. A report on Early Childhood Care and Education was presented to Parliament in 1986 as a Sessional Paper. Concurrently, with these developments, a new trend in ECCD was seen - i.e. emphasis on the child’s total well being and development both emotionally and intellectually. The Children’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is mandated to promote ECCD. Pre-school education and ECCD have been included as a subject under the Education Reforms of 1997. Under these reforms Provincial Councils and Local Government Authorities will be encouraged to maintain ECCD centres. The government will also provide facilities for the training of pre-school teachers and the development of curricula and model teaching - learning materials for these centres (NEC 1997). In 1997 when the National Plan of Action for Children was formulated, ECCD was included as an important component.

The institutions involved are the Children’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and certain Local Authorities and NGOs such as Sarvodaya. The government despite its relatively recent involvement is playing a significant role. The Children’s Secretariat has developed a set of guidelines for pre-schools and trained NGO personnel in the districts to adopt these guidelines. In addition it has developed Communication and Education materials on home - based ECCD activities. The OUSL offers a diploma course in pre-school education and this diploma is considered as a recognised qualification for pre - school teaching. According to the present devolved administrative structure, ECCD is a devolved subject. As such, steps have been taken at provincial level to strengthen Provincial Councils for ECCD activities and accordingly a cell for ECCD activities has been established within the Provincial Education Ministries.

The Resource Group (local experts in ECCD) of the National Committee on ECCD are formulating the minimum requirements for the registration of pre-schools island-wide. A national basic curriculum for pre-schools is being formulated. The Pre-schools are to be re-named as Early Childhood Care and Development Centres. The manual for trainers of pre-school teachers for guidance on use of the national basic curriculum is in progress. The Children’s Secretariat has initiated a programme to train national trainers, teachers and care givers on ECCD. The Children’s Secretariat with the involvement of relevant ministries and other organisations has conducted a series of parent awareness programmes through TV and radio. Arrangements are already being made to establish a Department of Child Development with a Child Study Centre at the Open University of Sri Lanka.

Reform in Primary Education
(i) Curriculum and assessment procedure; (ii) Teacher development; (iii) Designing of appropriate buildings, school layout and equipment for primary grades; (iv) Strengthening of management of primary education at provincial and school levels; (v) Providing syllabi, textbooks, workbooks, resource materials and supplementary reading materials; and (vi) Providing buildings, furniture, equipment and library facilities in schools.

The NEC (1997) has recommended the following proposals to improve primary education: (i) enactment of regulations on compulsory education for 5-14 years old children; (ii) improving pre-school education and programmes for Early Childhood Development; (iii) upgrading disadvantaged schools located in rural areas, urban slums, plantation areas and coastal areas; (iv) promoting the teaching of Tamil to Sinhala students and Sinhala to Tamil students; (v) improving teacher-pupil relations and counseling services; (vi) Reducing school size to a maximum of 2000 pupils; (vii) initiating programmes to improve rapport with parents; (viii) introducing school-based management; (ix) introducing performance appraisal of teachers; (x) increasing allocation of funds for education (from 2.9 per cent of GDP to 4.5 per cent); (xi) provision of a financial grant to schools; and (xii) enactment of a New Education Act.