Education in Sri Lanka
Partner since:
Total grant support: US$300,000
Grant eligibility:
- Multiplier
- System capacity
Transforming education in Sri Lanka
For many decades, Sri Lanka implemented a free education policy, expanded the number of facilities and supported student welfare by providing free mid-day meals, subsidized transport, free textbooks and uniforms. The goal was to ensure inclusive and equitable quality general education for every school-age child in the country.
The sudden economic downturn after the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges to the education sector, and particularly affected schoolchildren: School closures caused not just substantial learning losses but also gaps in the holistic development of children. Fiscal austerity and an increase in poverty rates led to fewer resources allocated to education.
In this context, Sri Lanka is seeking to collaborate with GPE and other development partners, with a view to identify strategies to tackle the identified challenges and build resilience in the education system.
Result story
Key data
88%
of primary teachers have the minimum required qualifications
9%
of government expenditure on education
Civil society engagement
As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting the Coalition for Educational Development (CED) for the 2024-2026 period.
Knowledge and innovation
- Sri Lanka is part of KIX Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Pacific hub and has a KIX national delegation.
- KIX research project:
Latest blogs and news
March 17, 2023
GPE is pleased to welcome Sri Lanka into the partnership and to work with the government to ensure all children have access to a quality education.
May 08, 2020
Despite evidence showing that providing quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) is fundamental to children’s life-long success, ECCE remains a chronically underfunded sub-sector in the Asia-Pacific...