Sri Lanka: Education for Knowledge Society Project

Education / Education sector development

The objective of the project is to improve quality, relevance, management, effectiveness and equity of access to secondary and tertiary education and training programs, in particular, in rural and disadvantaged locations. The Project components are:

(i) to increase equity of access to education through secondary schools upgrading and scholarship program;

(ii) to enhance quality and relevance of education through competency-based education (CBE) curriculum devt, competency standards for CBE, in-service teacher training, development of center of excellent in English Language teaching, upgrading of Sri Lanka Institute for Advanced Technological Education, fund for innovative Information and Communication Technology for learning;

(iii) to improve policy, governance, and service delivery through high level policy coordination and partnerships mechanism, integrated management information system, career guidance, and social marketing.

1: Increased Equity of Access to Education

1.1. One hundred schools in poorest DSDs have the capacity to deliver a new CBE curriculum in technologies, sciences, and ICT (original 150, then reduced to 100 at midterm review)

1.2. A fair, well-managed, and sustainable scholarship program is implemented

2: Quality and Relevance of Teaching and Learning Enhanced

2.1. A competency-based curriculum that integrates the use of ICT in subjects related to languages, mathematics, sciences, and technology is used in secondary schools as the basis for teaching and evaluating students

2.2 The center of excellence in English education (CEIEE) is fully operational

2.3 The Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE) is upgraded

2.4 Use of ICT for teaching and learning is enhanced

3: Improved HIV/AIDS and Health Education

3.1. HIV/AIDS and health education has improved

4: Improved Policy, Governance, and Service Delivery

4.1 General education, higher education, TEVT and private sector policy coordination dialogue and partnerships are enhanced

4.2. A fully integrated MIS is operational

4.3. Relevant and accessible management training provided for school principals and education officers

4.4. Career guidance for students in secondary schools improved

4.5. Social marketing of learning and career options conducted

1.1. (i) Due to unit cost overruns which amounted to almost twice that at appraisal, the Project was able to upgraded only 100 secondary schools (SSU) while applying EEF. (ii) Different types of civil works undertaken and provision of equipment, furniture, computer facilities provided to the 100 schools under SSU. (iii) Number of teachers in the 100 schools under SSU had increased from 4,142 in 2008 to 4,749 in 2014.

1.2. 73,590 scholarships provided (28,580 Sisudiriya scholarships, 25,064 ASAP, 6,962 SPTP, 7,996 TSTS, 4,988 FFSS)

2.1. (i) With consultancy inputs to NIE, competency-based standards had been developed; (ii) 9,406 teachers trained, (ii) 19,999 teachers trained in International Pedagogical ICT Driving License (IPICT); (iii) currently implemented by the National Education Testing Services (NETS).

2.2. Total of 2,997 personnel trained under 8 types of training programs.

2.3. (i) Integrated MIS developed and in place; (ii) Overseas training for 70 personnel and local training for 302 personnel provided.

2.4. (i) 2,149 Type 2 secondary schools received at least 5 computers, UPS, and printer; (ii) 19,600 ICDL/CAL scholarships awarded, of which 19,561 teachers obtained ICDL qualifications. Under ICT related training for teachers, altogether 50,270 scholarships were awarded and 48,985 completed training; (iii) 439 schools selected for award of National ICT Excellence under the scheme.

3.1. (i) TOT programmes on HIV/AIDS & health education covering 400 NCOE/TTC/TC staff conducted; (ii) The resource persons from the TOTs have trained 6,000 teachers; (iii) 92 ZRCs refurbished & provided with equipment, handbooks, supplementary reading materials, booklets, multi-media learning materials, board games, and etc.

4.1 Inter-agency (UGC & MYA) recognition for GCE AL Technology Stream achieved.

4.2. 109 Deputy/Assist Directors of Education in the provinces and ZEOs trained so that they could function as EMIS coordinators.

4.3. (i) 3,122 principals trained in 39 programmes; (ii) 45 short term thematic training programmes completed in which 4,748 trained.

4.4. (i) 200 ISAs and 184 TC staff completed a locally delivered certificate in vocational counselling programme; (ii) Two teachers assigned to each of career guidance resource centre at zonal level 92 TCs.

4.5. (i) Website http://careers.schollnet.lk developed and launched but needs updating; (ii) Effort to get OUSL to organize a certificate program in social marketing didn't materialize.

The selection and engagement of all consulting services will be in accordance with ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consutlants.

A team of consultants to provide services in a range of specializations, with estimated international inputs of about 96 person-months and national inputs of about 282 person-months under the loan, and 15 person-months of international inputs and 54 person-months of national inputs under the grant, will be engaged through firms using the quality-and-cost-based selection method. In addition, 8 international and 7 national inputs will be recruited through individual recruitment.