After Independence in 1948
The highest priority was given to education after independence in 1948. Within the last five decades the literacy rate of the population has gone up to over 90% and is the highest in South East Asia. Vidyodaya University and Vidyalankara University were established in 1958. 2750 Assisted schools were taken over by the government in 1960, and 55 schools remained as Fee Levying Private schools.
Reforms in the Education System in 1972.
The school system was categorized into three types.
Primary Education - Grades 1 - 5
Junior Secondary Education - Grades 6 - 9
Senior Secondary Education - Grades 10 - 11
The age of admission to schools was raised to 6 years. The curriculum of the Senior Secondary stage consisted of the 10 subjects including two pre-vocational subjects.
General education ended at the end of grade 9 and the students appeared for the National Certificate of General Education Examination (NCGE). Students who got through the exam were admitted to the Senior Secondary stage, where the curriculum consisted of separate streams - physical science, biological science, social science & commerce. However, this stage was not implemented after the change of government in 1977.
The White Paper on Education of 1981, consisted of reforms on education recommended by the three committees of General Education, Technical Education and National Apprentice Training appointed in 1979 and the structure of the school system changed once again as follows.
Primary School - 1- 5 years
Junior Secondary School- 6, 7, 8 years
Senior Secondary School - 9,10, 11 years
Pre-University Stage - 12 & 13 years
Reforms included in the White Paper were:
Life Skills, A new subject in place of the two pre-vocational subjects was introduced in the reforms, A dual system of evaluation at the Senior Secondary stage.(Continuous Assessment during the Course, consisting of oral, written and practical assessment techniques, secondly tests conducted at the end of the Course)
A School Cluster system consisting of a large school (Cluster Centre) and 10-15 small schools situated close to the Cluster Centre. The Cluster Centre Principal was made responsible for the administration and supervision of educational activities of the other schools in the Cluster. The main idea of introducing the Cluster System were to minimize the discrepancies in the facilities available in the larger schools and in the smaller schools around them, to make use of the experience and efficiency of the Principals of the large schools in the management of the small schools and to obtain the help of parents of all the schools for the development of small schools in the Cluster.
Recent Developments in Pre School Sector
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Children