The LKYSPP Alumni Sri Lanka Chapter committee organised a webinar named “Effects of Covid-19 on Education in Sri Lanka and Facing the New Normal” on Saturday, 22 August 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe implications on education in Sri Lanka. While many initiatives were taken to provide continuity in education for students during the lockdown, some also highlighted gaps in the country’s education system. Even as students return to schools, new policies and practices are necessary – both to catch up on lost time, prepare for the likely continuing Covid-19 health situation and any future crises.
The discussion was moderated by Ms Charuni Ranaweera (MPA 2011), President of LKYSPP Sri Lanka Alumni Chapter, and featured the following speakers:
- Dr Nisha Arunatilake, Director Research, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka
- Prof Andrew Francis-Tan, Visiting Associate Professor, Lee Kuan School of Public Policy
- Dr L. A. Pavithra Madhuwanthi (MPP 2009), Faculty of Management Studies & Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
- Dr Madura Wehalle, Addl. Secretary Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka
- Mrs Renuka Peiris, Director Health & Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka
This webinar can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/30Z1qRH.
The main points of discussion are as follows:
- As a preventive measure, a campaign to raise awareness has commenced targeting children in Sri Lanka. The way forward was defined at the policy level to face the challenge by establishing Presidential task forces including key stakeholders such as vice chancellors, educational directors and health authorities. A two-fold short term approaches for Ministry of Education thereby included a confidence building approach and to ensure the psychological well-being of the children (especially in the primary sectors) by getting them to connect and converse with the teachers and school administration to infuse a sense of normalcy via telephone and social media platforms. This followed by sharing learning materials and arranging virtual classes.
- On the e-Thaksalawa (e-school) official web site launched by the National Institute of Education, learning materials were shared. In parallel, distance learning activities were expanded via national television channel by the end of April targeting children sitting for competitive examinations such as Ordinary and Advance level.
- Coordinating support involving the key stakeholders such as Ministry of Finance was essential in discussions to seek donor support with development partner organizations in Sri Lanka to decide the contingency emergency plan to raise funds to enable e-platforms at the school level. This initiative aimed to help children develop new health habits thus to establish smart classrooms to promote distance learning as well as to improve teacher training and capacity building on digital learning platforms. The distant learning methods therefore would follow a blended approach at 60: 40 ratios involving face to face & distance learning teaching methods. Consideration was given for resource allocation by assigning less number of children and schools with fewer facilities to nearby schools with advanced facilities.
- The prolongation of the two weeks’ initial lockdown emerged as an unexpected shock to universities particularly due to the differentiated academic calendars followed by each university in Sri Lanka. Access to IT facilities for students under lockdown, technical issues of poor connections and poor penetration of internet connections in rural areas were main caveats identified through a survey conducted before planning the steps to introduce distance learning programs for the tertiary sector during the lockdown. In terms of academic staff, the inexperience of the use of e-platforms for academic teaching and maintaining standards were key challenges. Use of smartphone became the most practical method at lecture participation that assured continuous interaction with students. Expedited training programs were provided to faculty members on the use of distance learning platforms. Their commitment and determination to overcome the challenging circumstances and engage with undergraduates through distance learning was a remarkable show of solidarity and unity enhancing the social capital among the university community in Sri Lanka.
- Singapore’s eight weeks’ lockdown ended in early June and students moved back to classrooms while e-learning and home-based continued alternatively. The approach was to get children back to schools as early as the situation proved safe thus e-learning and use of technology was regarded as a bridge to weight out the health situation like Covid-19. To facilitate the in-class learning, which was regarded as the most suitable method for children’s education, many regulations were introduced such as mask-wearing, visual screening, fixed seating at class, prohibition of mass gatherings in school and teaching rotation in case teachers fall sick to fill the gaps. Accesses to the internet and computers were some of the main gaps encountered in Singapore. To remedy the accessibility issue, the Ministry of Education in Singapore provided free connectivity to the children.
- The evolving Covid-19 situation was, for Singapore, the deciding factor in designing the education policies. Thereby education policies during the pandemic were led through the health policies. The most important takeaway from Singapore had been that the e-learning is not as effective as in-class learning. E-learning could have a negative impact on the mental well-being of children due to a lacuna created without the school environment and not seeing friends and teachers. In the new normal, a hybrid system is prominent in Singapore though the possibilities of modern technology considered as an integral part of society. However, in-class learning is prioritized as the most effective and cohesive educational platform that ensures mental well-being and development of a child in Singapore.
- Collaborating with the zonal education directors on the delivery of study packs for students in the peripheral areas were carried out by UNICEF. About three thousand rural schools with less than 200 students re-opened. Grants provision was allocated as an extension to the existing health promotion program.
- As statistics reveal the Television ownership in Sri Lanka is recorded as 86%, mobile ownership 88% and ownership of personal computers stand at 19%. The household access to the internet is only 30% in the country while prominent disparities between urban and rural also exist. In terms of other gaps, IT literacy & skills of teachers to execute programs online, lack of data of children in schools, and associated technical issues such as login methods, programming of classes considered as vital issues were encountered. Immediate and short term solutions were provided such as dispatching hard copies to students via zonal education networks, help from the alumni associations and even from the neighbors’ telephones/internet to deliver study content to children in Sri Lanka.
- The effectiveness of modes of transmitting education and quality of teaching methods despite providing education content via various electronic or social media platforms were undeniably the main gaps faced during the school closure period in Sri Lanka. Outreach through TV channels therefore could be considered as a more effective way as opposed to internet-based distance learning methods.
- The discussion revealed certain positive aspects of social cohesion in the face of the pandemic in both Singapore and Sri Lanka, such as the increase of community spirit & strengthening of the family unit.
- In Singapore, the proactive policy decisions and lessons learnt from the previous pandemics, such SARS in 2003, have helped to take the lead in terms of preparedness during a health crisis.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has been exposed to a dimension of crises associated with citizen’s security and safety, continuous natural disasters, a war situation leading to the closure of schools. The preparedness of the education system to a global pandemic similar to Covid-19 was unprecedented. Establishing a unit under the Ministry of Education to manage pandemics, incorporating lessons learnt from the current health situation, addressing gaps in terms of teacher training are some defining measures that could be adopted in the new normal for the education sector in Sri Lanka.