The document outlines Sri Lanka's education system, detailing the structure of school and university education and the challenges faced during the COVID-19 lockdown, which forced a sudden shift to online learning. It discusses government decisions on reopening universities with safety measures and the importance of maintaining academic schedules while adapting to new teaching methods. Recommendations for the future emphasize the need for continued online education, technological development, and revised teaching methodologies.

1. Maintaining Education and Learning:
The Sri Lanka Experience
Dr. Namali Sirisoma
Dean, Faculty of Management, Social Sciences and Humanities
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
Sri Lanka
Vice Chairperson (Education) – CILT SL

2. Education System in Sri Lanka
• School Education
• Primary School year 1 to Year 5
• Secondary School Year 6 to Year 13
• University /tertiary

3. Main Examinations in School System
• Year 5 Scholarship Examination – August
(postponed to October)
• Year 11 General Certificate of Education
(G.C.E) Ordinary Level – December (No decision yet)
• Year 13 General Certificate of
Education (G.C.E) Advanced Level (University
Entrance is decided by the results of this
examination) – August (postponed to October)

4. Universities in Sri Lanka
• 15 State Universities under Ministry of Higher
Education
• regulated under the University Grants Commission
Sri Lanka
• All the courses are offered free of charge
• Other Government Universities under other
ministries
• Paid courses are being offered
• Private Universities
• Paid courses are being offered

5. • First Covid 19 warning was given somewhere in February 2020
and all the schools and Universities were closed around 15th
March 2020 due to finding few infected cases among foreign
tourists
• Country was completely lockdown and curfew was imposed

8. Education during Lockdown period
• Teachers and Lecturers were requested to conduct
on-line lectures during the lockdown period
• This was a sudden decision
• In Sri Lanka we do not have online teaching practice before
on state universities
• Some students who are in rural areas do not have internet
• Some students do not have laptops
• Some lecturers are not familiar with online teaching
• Students could not upload the internet facilities due to
curfew
• Many technical issues

11. Data is expensive in Sri Lanka

12. Government intervention on Internet Data

13. New School Data Packages

15. The Committee for Vice Chancellors and Directors
(CVCD) decisions on the meeting held on 2nd May 2020
• Decided to Commence the Universities partially on 15th
May 2020
• Only students of two academic years can be called to the
university premises at a given time – ideally third and
fourth year students.
• At university hostels, one room must be reserved for one
student. This is compulsory, and a one-metre distance
must be maintained between students at exams, practical
sessions, laboratories and libraries.
• All academic activities and exams must end on time,
prioritising the students of faculties whose exams are
due.

16. • All academic activities preceding exams must be
completed in as short a time as possible. Under no
circumstances must they exceed four weeks.
• Clinical trials can begin for final year MBBS students.
For this, the relevant medical faculties must seek the
advice of directors of relevant teaching hospitals,
microbiologists, specialist doctors, and PHIs.
• No permission is granted to convene for sports and
other extracurricular activities. No social gatherings
will be allowed in this period.
• The health ministry circular pertaining to universities
must be followed
• All VCs have the authority to determine how many
academic and nonacademic staff may be present at a
given time, depending on requirements.

17. • Other semester lectures should be
done through Zoom, Teams or any
software
• If necessary small group classes can be
arranged under strict guidelines and
regulations of Ministry of health
• Student must ware a mask during the
exams or studies
• Temperature is checked when they
enter the university/school
• Need to wash the hands at the gate or
use a sanitizer

19. Challenges ……………
•Change from Close Communication
to distance learning

20. •Save students from Covid 19
infection
•Get students prepared for
examinations
•Try to complete the
academic programmes as
scheduled in the calendar

21. •Do more Covid 19 related research
during the lockdown period
•Be ready for unforeseen situations
•Government policies and new
regulations in education
•Parents have to play the role of
teacher which they are not good at
•Students can misuse the technology

25. Recommendations for the future
• This situation will not be over within next couple of years
• Need to continue the online teaching
• Develop technologies so that many students can access it at
a lower cost
• Teacher training programmes and teaching methodologies
on ‘online’ teaching
• Train the examiners on ‘open book examinations’
• New policies in education
• New research of local products and new teaching methods
• Introduce Simulations instead of practical classes
• Share the knowledge internationally

26. Thank you ….