Education Participation in Sri

Lanka Why all are not in school

Nisha Arunatilake
Institute of Policy Studies of Sri
Lanka

Background

Formal education in Sri Lanka is provided

through an extensive network of more than
10,000 schools spread across the country

Since the Free education act of 1949

education has been free up to first degree
University level

Only 93% of 5-14 year olds are in school

97% - among the richest one fifth
92% among the poorest one fifth

Background contd

Since 1987 Education has been decentralized

But all policies formulated and implemented
from the centre

Provincial authorities largely limited to

administrative functions

Ambitious development plans, but funding

problems impeding implementation

Often recurrent expenditure takes priority over

much needed physical and human capital
investment related expenditure

Background contd.

Although education is provided free of

charge, out of pocket expenditure on
education is quite high

27% of total spending on education from

private sources on:
tuition , books, stationery and clothing

Although education is accessible in terms

distance and affordability, wide disparities
in quality of available education

Availability of resources in
govt. Schools
WP NP NCP UP
/EP

Urba
n

Rural

Estate

Divided classes
(%)

72 96

15

94

95

93

73

Separate
Furniture for
students (%)

62 28

48

58

53

61

71

Teacher
availability (%)

97 82

89

84

96

93

77

Student
Teacher ratio

20 31

18

21

24

21

15

Children in communities with

poor school resources by
expenditure quintile (per cent)
1

(poores
t)

Poor ed. inputs

66
Teacher vacancies 50
Poor phy. facilities 79

61 61
44 47
75 79

56 46
35 31
70 60

Sample size

139
8

114
5

1519

1278

962

Motivation for the present

study

In January 1998, Sri Lanka legislated compulsory

education for 5-14 year olds
Implemented through local committees whose
job is to confront parents of non-schooling
children to persuade them to send children to
school
Persuasion alone may not succeed in getting
children to attend school
This study evaluates the reasons for school
non-attendance
It hopes to help formulate policy that would
facilitate school participation

Data

Sri Lanka Integrated Survey

1999/2000

7,500 households representing all

provinces in 500 urban rural and
estate communities
The survey collected information
both at the household and the
community levels

Sample and Estimation

Sample is restricted to children

between 5 to 14 years
Dependent variable school
participation
Results estimated using binary
logit

Explanatory Variables

School quality indicators

Poor resources (learning and teaching)

[m=0.56]
Teacher vacancies [m=0.38]
Poor school facilities [m=0.71]

Out of pocket expenditure on education

(annual community averages)

Essential school expenditure [m=Rs. 1,160]

Tuition expenditure [m=Rs.630]

Explanatory Variables

Individual characteristics

Household characteristics

gender, age
Time to school, ethnicity, sector, province
Number of children in the hh
Education of hh_head and spouse
Employment of hh_head
Expenditure/Income group

Community level characteristics

Main livelihood of community

Main Findings

School Quality Indicators

Teacher vacancies

Negatively affected school attendance

In overall, richest, poorest and under_9

Poor Physical facilities in school

Unexpectedly, positively influences school

participation of children nine and younger

Possibly due to subjective evaluation of school

facilities

Main Findings

Direct costs of schooling

Tuition expenditure

Negatively influences school participation

In the overall and poorest, 9 or less, 9 plus

samples

Essential school expenditure (text

books, stationery, etc.)

Negatively influences school participation

In the poorest and the 9 plus samples

Main Findings

Location and Community Level

Characteristics

Community livelihood

Being in a community where main

livelihood is agriculture or fishing
negatively influences school participation

Overall, poorest and richest samples, and 9 or

less (?)

Main Findings

Other HH characteristics

Ethnicity influences school participation

significantly

Employment of hh_head

Relative to Sinhalese (main ethnic group) children

from other ethnic groups less likely to be in schools
(explanation teacher vacancies?/ cultural factors?)
HH_head owning a farm, in informal employment or
not working negatively affects schooling

HH composition

Children from HHs with young kids (0 to 6) less

likely to be in school

Main Findings

Access to schools

Did not influence school participation

significantly

HH expenditure/income

Relative to children in the richest

group children in the poorest group,
less likely to attend school

Main Findings

Individual level characteristics

Being a male (in the poorer samples)

decreased the likelihood of attending school

(unusual for most developing countries/ possibly

due to larger opportunity cost of attending school)

Age

Children seem to start schooling late (not at

age 5) and drop out as they age school
attendance is highest for children in 9 11
age group

Summary

Poverty influences schooling negatively

School quality affects schooling decision

(teacher vacancies/ tuition expenditure)

Opportunity costs of schooling affects

schooling decision

Being in an agricultural/ fishing community

Employment of hh_head
Coming from families with small children

Summary

Limited know-how/ motivation of

parents affects schooling

Starting school late, cultural factors

Discussion

Appointment of local communities to

compel parents to send children to
school is not a sustainable solution

Despite governments attempts to assist

school attendance through the provision
of free uniforms and text books, high out
of pocket expenditure is keeping
children away from school

Discussion

Children from farming communities and

families owning farms are probably not
attending school due to high opportunity
costs. School calendars in these areas
should take into account the high
demand periods for farm labour

More attention should be given to

improve quality of schooling

Discussion

Lastly, inadequacy of government

funding seems to affect many problems
related to school quality. Especial
attention should be given to improve
funding for the sector either public or
private

Thank you