Report June 2, 2025

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a deeply religious society whose public institutions operate with at least a veneer of a largely secular ethos. The dominant religious traditions, especially Buddhism, profess commitments to peace yet are intertwined in a national history laden with strife and violence. Deep crises have disrupted many ongoing approaches as well as assumptions.
Education plays a central role in national reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s education sector faces challenges and opportunities that reflect its complex history, the diverse needs of its population, and contemporary development approaches. This brief provides a summary history of the formal education system, its contemporary organization, and available aggregate statistics, and reviews various analyses of issues the system confronts.
Other Publications
Policy Brief February 28, 2025
Religio-Nationalism in Sri Lanka: Its Significance for Education and Social Protection
Policy Brief October 21, 2024
Sri Lanka COVID-19 Qualitative Study: Highlights and Takeaways

October 7, 2024
A Sri Lankan Paradox: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Political Change
Katherine Marshall and Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne reflect on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka and the recent political change.