BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

Many expressed displease about education reforms in Sri Lanka and it could assume that academics appointed to perform the role of reforming education failed to do the task as required by the country, and the development of policies for education reforms have stagnated because the appointed experts are lacking the understanding of reforms that are required by Sri Lanka. Education in the modern era is based on achieving outcomes by students and Western countries spend a large sum of funds to train students for achieving outcomes of lessons with value education. Outcome-Based Education is an essential reform that should be introduced to Sri Lanka, and the OBE would radically improve the quality of education.

Education is leading to the achievement of outcomes, which are designed as theory and practices. It is not a style of education that existed in Sri Lanka in the past. The traditional style of studies that focused on committing to memory. The best example is training for reading nine sutras from the sutra in the Buddhism, and such learning was called learn by heart. The memory-based education was given to Buddhist monks, and some selected laity to perform religious functions.  In this process, needs the achievement of outcomes, but the Outcome Based Education is broader than learning by heart. OBE focuses on the achievement of theory and practice related to lessons.   

Syllabus documents provide the outcome should be achieved by students with the criteria to assess students and it might be at different levels. School teachers in Sri Lanka have not trained to do this role and parents were not educated about the OBE that is demanded by an education system internationally. Many Ph.D. holding education reformists have not studied in the OBE method, so they have not studied about the OBE, and they attempt to reform education in the way they studied in the primary and secondary schools. When OBE education in schools, kids don’t need to attend tuition or after-hours private classes, the role and responsibility of school teacher providing education until students achieve outcomes.  In this education methods weak students are given a second chance to achieve outcome or make holistic approach.

As I saw in the school system in Sri Lanka, tuition teachers dislike OBE, one thing they were not trained under the OBE system and the other thing is when the OBE system is applying in schools, tuition teachers will lose their jobs and they cannot play with students after school time.   

The achievement of outcomes by students reflects the competency of kids that supports them in finding work or engage in further education and training. Parents who have not understood these methods force kids to study and memorizing points in mind destroying the creative skills of kids. I observed in many teledramas in Sri Lanka, parents were forcing children to promote memories and study.

If the president of Sri Lanka wants successfully implement education reforms, he should not ignore the OBE method and providing certificate one and two on TVET with the general education. This way education is provided in developed countries such as Australia, Canada, USA and many others.