Transcript Education for social cohesion in the context of

Education for Social Cohesion in the Context of
the Sri Lankan School System
Annual Research Symposium 2015
Faculty of Education
University of Colombo
30 October 2015
Page 1
Content
1. Dimensions of Social Cohesion
2. Context: Key Characteristics of the Education System in
Sri Lanka
3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme
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1. Dimensions of Social Cohesion
A cohesive society works towards
the well-being of all its members,
fights exclusion and marginalisation,
creates a sense of belonging,
promotes trust, and offers its
members the opportunity of upward
mobility.
(OECD 2011)
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1. Dimensions of Social Cohesion: Measuring
Finding:
More social cohesion leads to better
institutions, and better institutions in turn
lead to higher economic growth.
(Easterly et al 2006)
Social
Cohesion
Better
Institutions
Economic
Growth
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1. Dimensions of Social Cohesion: Social Outcomes
of Education and Learning (cont.)
What works?
•
More schooling?
•
More citizenship or civic education (as
subject)?
•
Better curriculum?
•
Better instructional materials?
•
Better qualified teachers?
•
Quality of learning experience?
•
Improved school environment?
•
Improved learning environment?
Teaching civic education (with improved
curriculum, textbooks and better qualified
teachers)?
Or
School development with improved learning
opportunities?
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2. Context: National Policy on Education for Social
Cohesion and Peace (2008)
12 Challenges:
Normative description of a “desired citizen”:
1.
Intercultural disharmony
1.
Can live in a multicultural society
2.
Problems in communication and interaction
2.
Is democratic in decision-making
3.
Lack of protection of the rights of others
3.
Respects others’ rights
4.
Violent behaviour
4.
Communicates well
5.
Lack of sharing
5.
Can solve problems
6.
Lack of trust
6.
Can transform conflict
7.
Indiscipline
7.
Has discovered inner peace
8.
Little transfer of knowledge to practice in every day
life
8.
Is politically enlightened
9.
Has civic virtues
9.
Lack of teamwork
10. Is a global citizen
10. Lack of gender equity and socio-economic equity
11. Does no harm; is empathetic
11. Lack of environmental and health awareness
12. Can protect Sri Lankan traditions, culture and values
12. Lack of public awareness of peace values
13. Obeys the laws
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2. Context: National Policy on Education for Social
Cohesion and Peace (2008)
Key strategies:
1.
Forging peace through the curriculum
2.
Re-skilling teachers and educational
leaders
Detailed plan of actions with activities to be
implemented
3.
Second language learning for crosscultural understanding
•
at school level and
•
at national level
4.
Thinking outside the box: co-curricular
activities
5.
Fostering the culture of peace in school
and community
6.
Revitalising integration: different models for
schools (integrated schools)
7.
Broadening the research base to education
for social cohesion and peace
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2. Context: Key characteristics of the school system
in Sri Lanka
1.
2.
3.
Schools are segregated by
language, ethnicity, religion and
gender
School system is exam-oriented
and highly competitive
accompanied by an unregulated,
extensive private tuition system
Violence is a critical issue in
school communities (discipline,
punishment, abuse)

Individual and group competitions for privileged
schools

Individual disadvantages or failures will be perceived
as threat to social mobility and discrimination of the
social group

…
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2. Context: Rationale for Education for Social Cohesion
in Sri Lanka
Education:
•
No. of years in school
•
Competencies
Development strategy of Sri Lanka:
Knowledge-based economy
Knowledge, skills,
abilities, behaviours
critical to successful
performance
Facts, information, skills
Education for Social Cohesion
Capacity Development: process of strengthening
the abilities of individuals, organizations and societies
to make effective use of the resources, in order to
achieve their own goals on a sustainable basis
•
Allocation of social position
How do schools organise social diversity
and the formation of individual and group
identities?
•
Socialisation and identity formation
Schools can mitigate or intensify conflict!
Two functions of schooling:
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2. Context: Civic Competencies and attitudes of
students in Sri Lanka
National Research Study on Civic
Education in Sri Lanka (2004)
Specific findings on social cohesion:
•
Inadequacy of and disparities in opportunities for
- second language learning
- students from different ethnic groups to learn together
- interactions and cultural exchanges that foster mutual
understanding
•
Polarization of attitudes based on ethnicity
•
Majority of students are positively oriented towards
participation in processes that will contribute to social
cohesion, if opportunities are provided
Some few selected findings:
•
75% of students respond to
have only few or no friends of
the other ethnic groups
•
48% of students respond to
have never or rarely
opportunities to learn together
with children of other ethnic
groups
•
61% students respond that
they never or sometimes work
on projects outside the school
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2. Context: Second National Language Teaching and
Learning
Survey of Status of Second National
Language Teaching and Learning
(Perera 2007)
Percentage achieving mastery
in 2NL
Some few selected findings:
•
Students‘ performance in 2NL is not
satisfactory overall
•
Grade 9 students‘ performance is
worse than that of grade 7 students
•
NCoE students and lecturers show
favourable attitudes but less
commitment towards teaching and
learning of 2NL
2NL
Grade 7
Grade 9
Sinhala
43.4
33.4
Tamil
26.4
13.5
„… essentially the same problem has
been considered time and again over the
years without addressing the basic issue:
the need to increase the number of 2NL
teachers and teacher trainers.“
(Perera 2015)
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Objective
The measures in education and psycho-social care
enable school communities to live together peacefully
in a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society.
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Structure and Components
Education for Social Cohesion
Learning to Live Together
Peace and
Value
Education
Second National
Language
Education
Safe and Secure School
Environment
Psycho-Social
Care
Disaster
Safety
Education
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Implementation
National Level:
•
Ministry of Education
•
National Institute of Education
Provincial Level:
•
5 Provincial Ministries of Education and Provincial Education
Departments: Central, Eastern, Northern, Sabaragamuwa, Uva
Provinces
•
National Colleges of Education
School Level:
•
200 pilot schools with 4.900 teachers and more than 100.000 students
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Key Results
• National Policy on Education for Social Cohesion
• National Disaster Safety Guidelines for Schools
• Development of national coordination mechanisms for psycho-social care
• Curriculum development and instructional materials
• Capacity Development of 314 trainers, 2.904 teachers, 1.306 principals,
and 512 teacher educators
PVE
2NL
PSC
DSE
Trainers
Teachers
Principals
44
60
125
85
300
300
1.620
684
196
200
769
141
Teacher
Educators
220
50
192
50
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Evaluation
2NL: Findings
2NL: Challenges
• Perceived as highly relevant at
policy as well as community levels
• How best to address huge shortfall in
terms of teacher supply including
shortage of 2NL lecturers
• Symbolic importance (equal status
and recognition by the state), as
well as of practical relevance (for
inter cultural communication)
• Excellent, activity based training
with a focus on communication
skills
• How to get more interaction between
schools of different language
communities
• Variation in language competency
and teaching methodologies across
pilot schools and provinces
• getting systematic data on language
competence so that the impact of
training can be assessed.
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Evaluation
PVE: Findings
PVE: Challenges
• Perceived as highly relevant at
policy as well as community levels
• Move away from school based
trainings to spreading good practice
and inclusion in school development
plans
• Student exchange programmes
(e.g. Pals of Two Cities, theatre
events, sports and celebrations)
and student parliaments well
received and embedded
• learning about cultural ‘difference’
vs. emphasis on a common
identity as a Sri Lankan, with equal
rights and an understanding of
justice
• Sustainability of student exchange
programmes
• Implications of the LLRC report within
ESC
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Evaluation
PSC: Findings
PSC: Challenges
• Has evolved from focus on trauma
counselling within North and East
to meet changing needs relevant
to all schools
• Different interpretations of
‘counselling’ within the system
(careers, behavior)
• Well embedded and managed,
particularly in Northern Province
• Good models on peer support as
well as monitoring need to be
more widely disseminated
• Some resistance because
counselling may challenge social
norms in some areas (e.g. discipline
in schools)
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme:
Evaluation
DSE: Findings
DSE: Challenges
• Roots in tsunami response,
evolved into school safety
• Less direct relevant now to conflict
transformation
• Very successful and targets
achieved at school level
• Prospects for sustainability good, and
GIZ support no longer needed
• Mainstreamed and integrated into
areas such as climate change
education
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3. Education for Social Cohesion Programme: Outlook
• Facilitate ministerial steering and coordination groups
• Support revision of the national policy on education for social cohesion and
peace, in the light of the LLRC recommendations
• Assist in the development of dissemination strategies for PVE, 2NL and PSC
• Assist in the professional development of 2NL lecturers and teachers
• Assist in school development programmes on education for social cohesion
including professional development of principals and trainers (e.g. ISAs)
Two recommendation on education research:
• Assess grade 8/grade 9 students’ competencies in 2NL regularly
• Assess students’ knowledge and attitudes on social cohesion regularly
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Thank you!
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