Category: Education and Skills
Client: Government of Sri Lanka
The education sector in Sri Lanka has been severely impacted by the COVID pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis. Recognizing the urgent need for reforms in this sector to achieve economic stability and development, the Government of Sri Lanka formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee of ten members to formulate and implement a National Education Policy Framework (NEPF) for the next 25 years. The Cabinet of Ministers approved this proposal on April 24, 2023, and appointed a 25-member Expert Officials Committee to support the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The time frame for this National Education Policy Framework is confined to the next 10-year period (2023–2033) allowing a possible review in the future.
The Policy Framework is based on the comprehensive body of work produced by the Presidential Task Force on Sri Lanka’s Education Affairs in 2020 and is informed by the report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Expanding Higher Education Opportunities and the brief reports submitted by the five Core Groups of the Expert Officials Committee appointed to assist the Cabinet Sub-Committee to formulate the National Education Policy Framework (NEPF).
Citra played a critical role in convening diverse stakeholders to develop this forward-looking policy, which aligns with national development goals and global educational commitments. The draft of the NEPF (2023-2033) prepared by the Expert Officials Committee, proposes a comprehensive and visionary roadmap for transforming the education sector in Sri Lanka. This Framework outlines the policy principles and statements that will serve as the basis for developing strategies and action plans to achieve quality, equity, and excellence in education.
Assistance from local and international experts shall be sought to develop the required regulations and legislation based on the policy principles and statements articulated in the Framework.
Sri Lanka’s education system has many achievements, such as universal access, high literacy rates, and gender parity. However, it also faces bottlenecks that limit its potential for development. For instance, it has low participation in higher education, high emigration of skilled workers, and a sense of entitlement among learners. These issues stem from an outdated and inflexible education system that does not cultivate creativity, competencies, and employability. Sri Lanka needs to transform its curriculum, teaching, and evaluation methods to foster holistic and lifelong learning.
The NEPF aims to address longstanding issues in the Sri Lankan education system, such as the dominance of content-driven examinations and the limited pathways for students. The NEPF also addresses challenges posed by an unregulated private education industry, shifts toward prioritizing quality over quantity, and integrates considerations of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and the impacts of Climate Change.
The policy statements in the NEPF are presented under the three policy domains of Teaching, Learning and Credentialling; Governance; and Investments and Resources; and provide a blueprint for drafting rules, regulations, or legislation needed for the transformation. The ultimate goal of the NEPF is to sustainably enhance the Access, Quality, Relevance and Digital Transformation of the education system through systemic changes to the Teaching, Learning & Credentialing; Governance; and Investments & Resources domains to expedite economic and social development.
Citra Lab’s facilitation in this collaborative effort underscores its crucial role in bringing together stakeholders for a collective and visionary approach to developing key policies in Sri Lanka.
The key objectives of the NEPF (2023-2033) are as follows:
Sri Lanka’s development and resilience depend on the capacity of its people and workers to cope with emerging challenges in a creative and critical way. To achieve this, the national education system has to move away from its rigid structure and embrace a more flexible and innovative approach that fosters 21st century skills and competencies, aligned with Vision 2048.
The NEPF represents the vision of building a fair, inclusive, holistic, integrated and streamlined education system that will foster and enable diverse individuals and shape them into intelligent, hardworking and civic minded citizens. The Framework shall be the guiding document for any future reforms in the sector.
