Abstract
Over the last four decades, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has shown a keen interest in decentralizing its educational administration. On a number of occasions the government restructured and reorganized its educational administrative machinery. Through the creation of intermediate layers between the central ministry and the schools, the country attempted to maximize efficiency, but the effects were marginal. The government’s stated intention to improve the education system through greater participation by local communities has rarely been met. The multiplication of bureaucratic layers resulted in more complex procedures and confusion about administrative responsibilities. The lack of a strong “work ethic” in newly established layers hindered rather than supported school improvement. Though administrative authority was transferred from the center to the periphery, practice in schools remained almost largely unchanged.
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
REFERENCES
Ariyadasa, K. D. (1976). Management of educational reforms in Sri Lanka. Paris: UNESCO.
Cabral, L. M. C. (1989). Kegalle after management reforms in education. Unpublished paper.
Dalin, P., Anyono, T., Biazen, A., Dibaba, B., Jahan, M., Miles, M. B., & Rojas, C. (1994). How schools improve: An international report. Wiltshire: Cassell.
Diyasena, W. (1976). Pre Vocational Education in Sri Lanka, IBE Paris: UNESCO.
Ekanayake, S. B., & Sedere, M. U. (1989). Disparity in achievement: A case study of Sri Lanka. Maharagama, Sri Lanka: NIE.
Evans, D., & Hood, P. (1997). School based management: Challenge and opportunity. United Kingdom: Anglia Business School.
Fernando, N. (Ed.) (1984). Management of educational development in Sri Lanka. Maharagama, Sri Lanka: NIE.
Harris, H. T. B. (1983). The administrative structure of education: Case studies of sixteen countries. Paris: UNESCO.
Jayasuriya, J. E. (1969). Education in Ceylon: Before and after independence. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Associated Educational Publishers.
Jayasuriya, J. E. (1971). Educational policies and progress during British rule in Ceylon. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Wesley Press.
Jayaweera, S. (1987). Educational policies and change from the mid-twentieth century to 1977. Maharagama, Sri Lanka: NIE.
Kulasena, K. G. (1989). A Study of introducing educational innovation through management practices: A preliminary draft presentation of the Ratnapura District. Maharagama, Sri Lanka: NIE.
Manoharan, S. S. (1988). Decentralization in the Baticaloa District. Unpublished paper.
Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. (1961). Report of the education conference held at Bandarawela, April 17 & 25th 1961. Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Examination Department Press.
Ministry of Education & Cultural Affairs. (1966). Proposals for Reforms in General and Technical Education. Ceylon: Government Press.
Ministry of Education. (1969). Education in Ceylon, a centenary volume: Administrative changes in education (ch. 58). Colombo, Sri Lanka: Government Press.
Ministry of Education. (1981). Education proposals for reform 1981. Colombo, Sri Lanka: MOE.
Ministry of Education. (1982). Towards relevance in education: Report of the Education Reforms Committee—1979. Colombo, Sri Lanka: MOE.
Ministry of Education. (1984). Report on management reforms 1984. Colombo, Sri Lanka: MOE.
Ministry of Education and Higher Education. (1996). National education policy: A frame work for action on general education. Colombo, Sri Lanka: MEHE.
National Education Commission. (1992). The first report of the National Education Commission. Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Government Press.
National Education Commission. (1997). Reforms in general education. Colombo, Sri Lanka: NEC.
Perera, W. J. (1987). Move towards decentralization: The Sri Lankan experience in educational administration. Unpublished paper.
Perera, W. J. (1997). Changing schools from within: A management intervention for improving school functioning in Sri Lanka. Paris: UNESCO, IIEP.
Perera, W. J. (2000). School autonomy through school-based management: The case of Sri Lanka in improving school efficiency. In The Asian Experience, An ANTRIEP Report. Paris: UNESCO, IIEP.
Perera, W. J., & Palihakkara, H. (1997). Decentralization in education: The Sri Lankan experience. In R. Govinda (Ed.), Decentralization of educational management: Experiences from South Asia. Paris: UNESCO, IIEP.
Samaranayake, R. S. (1985). Introduction of school clusters in Sri Lanka. Paris: UNESCO, IIEP.
Silva, G. N., Ginige, L., Gunasekara, S., Perera, W. J., Ranasinghe, R. H. H., & Balasooriya, A. S. (1993). Decentralisation in education: A study of problems rising out of a new provincial set-up. Maharagama, Sri Lanka: NIE.
Staff College for Educational Administration. (1986). An impact evaluation of the pilot project on the decentralization of regional administration of 1984 in Kegalle, Chilaw and Matara Sistricts in Sri Lanka: A case study. Maharagama, Sri Lanka: NIE.
Yannakapulos, P. Z. (1983). Experiences in innovations in decentralization of education administration and management of local resources. Maharagma, Sri Lanka: UNESCO.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Perera, W.J. (2006). EFFORTS TOWARD DECENTRALIZATION: IDEOLOGY VS. REALITY—THE SRI LANKAN CASE. In: BJORK, C. (eds) Educational Decentralization. Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4358-1_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4358-1_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-4356-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4358-1
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)