For decades, Sri Lanka has provided access to general and university education from Grade 1 right up to degree level at state expense to all its citizens, irrespective of their family income, race, caste or creed. Consequently, Sri Lanka boasts an exemplary record of high literacy, student enrolment levels and gender equality in basic education. Also graduates from Sri Lanka’s state universities from all walks of life have reached peak income and professional levels.

But nowadays there is a rising demand across the country for private schools to the disadvantage of state schools. Additionally, every second student is attending private tuition classes, even from the poorest households. Obviously, pupils - most of them attending state schools - are not learning enough at school to pass the state exams. This is why they have to extend their learning time, at the cost of family and friends time. Hence, youth is filled with learning for exams instead of learning from life for life. On top of that, at the prestigious national state schools pupil-teacher ratios may exceed 50, making it extremely difficult to teach and grade papers.

* What caused the surge of private tuition classes and private schools in Sri Lanka?

* Which parts of the successful model of free schooling for all in Sri Lanka should be maintained or re-established?

* How can state schooling be complemented successfully by private initiatives, without making access to a good education an exclusive right?

* What roles will pupils, parents, teachers, responsible civil servants, as well as politicians, have to play?

* How to develop regional centres of educational excellence in order to activate and nurture talents for all provinces?

We invite the interested public to discuss the aforementioned issues and pose questions at the Open Forum on Thursday, May 28 from 5.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Colombo. The Panelists: W. Dharmadasa, Additional Secretary, Ministry for Education, T. Mahasivam, Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union, Trincomalee, Mohan Lal Grero, Founder, Lyceum International Schools, Colombo. Facilitator: Mrs. Anila Dias Bandaranaike, Retired Assistant Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Invitations in limited numbers may be obtained from: