Schools in Sri Lanka with religious alienation
Posted on June 3rd, 2019
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
In Colombo we have catholic/Christian schools such as St Bridget’s, Mehodist .Ladies .Bishops etc. which are almost private schools
Then we have all male schools such as St Josephs .St Peters .St Thomas .St Benedicts, Carey etc.
.Most of the Buddhist schools except Museus are state schools like Ananda Nalanda .Thurstan,Isipapathana ,Mahanama etc .and all girls schools like Devi Balika .Visaka ,Gothami ,etc .
In Jaffna you find sought after school like Hartley College ,St Patrick.Jaffna Central .St Johsn .St Xavior ect with Tamil being being taught in parallel with English the tamils earmark sending the children abroad .
Mostly Buddhist parents tend to send children to state Buddhist schools expecting them to enter university to be doctors or engineers .
Catholic parents prefer children studying in a religious environment in schools where English knowledge is vastly improved Private sector hires them due to their posh upbringing and English fluency as Executives.
Lately we have Muslim schools called Madarasa where the children learn Arabic and hardly any Sinhala but fluent in Tami.
In England there are private schools for girls and boys and also grammar schools where children can enter after an entrance exam irrespective of their color and religion. Few schools like Eton, and Harrows Paul’s may take only children of well to do families who aim to enter universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
Questions is why in Sri Lanka we have such a segregation of schools? Like in India we should have schools common where every nationality has the right to gain entry .There shouldn’t be discrimination.
The motto government is promoting now is Best schools is the closest school”
High time that the vociferous young minister of education take this matter seriously and change the course of Sri Lankan Education System.
Country can monitor education System Island wide with a view to monitor the behavior pattern of the children to prevent ideologies of extremist elements creeping into their heads
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
June 4th, 2019 at 11:00 am
There should be no discrimination, anyone should have the right to any school.