National school (Sri Lanka)
Encyclopedia
A National school in Sri Lanka
is a school that is funded and administered by the Ministry of Education
of the central government as opposed to Provincial schools run by the local provincial council
. These schools provide secondary education (some including collegiate), with some providing primary education as well. The classification began in 1985, with 18 schools being designated as national schools.
Most of the selected schools were from Colombo
along with several other cites. In the following five years only five schools were declared national schools, based on the initial criteria.
In 1990 the criteria were revised:
Following this change there was a gross increase in schools being upgraded to national school grade with a total of 37 national schools in 1992 and 165 in 1994. In most cases upgrade appeared to be a mere name change with no tangible change as by 2000 there were 317 national schools island wide.
The National Education Commission stated on the situation in 2003: "... the new category of a limited number of National Schools created in the early 1980’s using strict criteria to identify schools with very good facilities and offering quality education, has become meaningless and distorted with the indiscriminate addition of schools that do not conform to these criteria. Currently 40 of the 323 National Schools are 1C schools (without Science education at GCE Advanced Level) and one National School is a Type 2 school with classes to GCE Ordinary Level only".
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
is a school that is funded and administered by the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
of the central government as opposed to Provincial schools run by the local provincial council
Provinces of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, provinces are the first level administrative division. They were first established by the British rulers of Ceylon in 1833. Over the next century most of the administrative functions were transferred to the districts, the second level administrative division. By the middle of the...
. These schools provide secondary education (some including collegiate), with some providing primary education as well. The classification began in 1985, with 18 schools being designated as national schools.
History
With the decentralization of government administration following the establishment of provincial councils from the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1987, the central government transferred control of government schools, with the exception of 18 elite schools that had been designated as national schools by the Ministry of Education in 1985. The criteria for listing as a national school were as follows:- The total school enrolment in the school should be 2000 or more.
- The school should have a well-established collegiate section with a sufficient number of students in the science arts and commerce streams.
- The GCE A/L results of the school should indicate a reasonable academic standard.
- The buildings, furniture, equipment and other facilities should match the student numbers of the school.
- The school should be in a position to obtain adequate financial support from the school development society, past pupils’ association and other sources in the community.
- The school should be generally accepted by the community as one of the best in the region.
Most of the selected schools were from Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
along with several other cites. In the following five years only five schools were declared national schools, based on the initial criteria.
In 1990 the criteria were revised:
- The school should have 2000 or more students.
- The school should have 200 or more students in the GCE A/L science classes.
- Of the number of students appearing for the GCE A/L examination during the previous three years, one third should have qualified for admission to universities each year.
- There should be adequate buildings, desks and chairs for all students.
- There should be adequate facilities for teaching technology related subjects.
- Laboratory facilities should be adequate to meet the requirements of all GCE O/L and A/L students.
- Annual income from facilities and services’ fees should exceed Rs.15,000.
- Residents should consider the school to be one of the leading schools in the locality.
- The school should have an effective School Development Society.
- The school should have an active Past Pupils’ Association.
Following this change there was a gross increase in schools being upgraded to national school grade with a total of 37 national schools in 1992 and 165 in 1994. In most cases upgrade appeared to be a mere name change with no tangible change as by 2000 there were 317 national schools island wide.
The National Education Commission stated on the situation in 2003: "... the new category of a limited number of National Schools created in the early 1980’s using strict criteria to identify schools with very good facilities and offering quality education, has become meaningless and distorted with the indiscriminate addition of schools that do not conform to these criteria. Currently 40 of the 323 National Schools are 1C schools (without Science education at GCE Advanced Level) and one National School is a Type 2 school with classes to GCE Ordinary Level only".