Sri Lanka signed a $100 million credit agreement with the World Bank to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen and modernise the general education system in the country.
The General Education Modernisation Project (GEM) will modernize and diversify the curriculum of general education in keeping with the transformation taking place in Sri Lanka’s society and economy. Greater emphasis will be on strategic subjects that are key for economic development such as English and Mathematics. The project will help broaden choices at the GCE A-level grades so that students have the flexibility in selecting subjects from among the arts, management, science, technology, and vocational streams. Learning material for English language and Mathematics will be developed digitally and the focus will be on children from schools located in more disadvantaged regions.
Dr. Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Dr. R.H.S.Samaratunga, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Mass Media signed the agreement at the Ministry of Finance today (July 25) on behalf of the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka respectively.
“Sri Lanka has made impressive progress in expanding access to education. However, to reach the status of an Upper Middle-Income Country, it needs to further improve the overall learning outcomes. Sri Lanka’s education policy makers recognize that a high-quality general education system will enable students to meet the demands of 21st century jobs,” said Idah Z. Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The project will benefit school students both at the primary (grades 1-5) and at the secondary (grades 6-13) levels. Technical education and vocational training institutes, academic and managerial staff of the schools will also benefit from this project.