Schools in Sri lanka

Basic information• Sri Lanka's education structure is divided into five parts: primary, junior

secondary, senior secondary, collegiate and tertiary. Primary education lasts five to six years (Grades 1-5) and at the end of this period, the students may elect to write a national exam called the Scholarship exam. This exam allows students with exceptional skills to move on to better schools. After primary education, the junior secondary level (referred to as middle school in some schools) lasts for 4 years (Grades 6-9) followed by 2 years (Grades 10-11) of the senior secondary level which is the preparation for the General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level. According to the Sri Lankan law, it is compulsory that all children go to school till grade 9 (age 14) at which point they can choose to continue their education or drop out and engage in apprenticeship for a job or farming. However, the Ministry of Education strongly advises all students to continue with their studies at least till the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level. Students who are pursuing tertiary education must pass the General Certificate of Education Ordinary level in order to enter the collegiate level to study for another 2 years (grades 12-13) to sit for the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level. On successful completion of this exam, students can move on to tertiary education, there for the General Certificate of Education A/Ls is the university entrance exam in Sri Lanka.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

• Primary• Kindergarten: 4-5 year

olds• Grade 1: 5-6 year olds• Grade 2: 6-7 year olds• Grade 3: 7-8 year olds• Grade 4: 8-9 year olds• Grade 5: 9-10 year olds

- Scholarship Examination

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Junior secondary

• Junior secondary• Grade 6: 10-11 year

olds• Grade 7: 11-12 year

olds• Grade 8: 12-13 year

olds• Grade 9: 13-14 year

olds

Senior secondary• Senior secondary• Grade 10: 14-15 year olds• Grade 11: 15-16 year olds

– General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Examination

Collegiate

• Collegiate• Grade 12: 16-17 year

olds• Grade 13: 17-18 year

olds -  General Certificate of Education Advance Level Examination

Government Schools

• The old schools which had been around since the colonial times were retained by the central government, thus creating three types of government schools;

• National Schools• Provincial Schools• Pirivenas (Schools for

Buddhist priests)

School uniforms in Sri Lanka

• School uniforms in Sri Lanka were first introduced in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are almost universal in the Sri Lankan public and private school systems. All public and private schools maintains almost a singular uniform design in the color of white with few individual characteristics for boys and a few variation designs in white for girls.

UNICEF: Sri Lanka

• New child-friendly schools bring new hope to communities in Sri Lanka

• AMPARA DISTRICT, Sri Lanka, 15 July 2010 – Thousands of schoolchildren in Ampara district, eastern Sri Lanka, recently cheered in a new era in education, with marching bands playing and UNICEF flags waving during official ceremonies in their villages.

UNICEF: Sri Lanka• Along with local community

leaders, they were celebrating the opening of six new schools – the result of a UNICEF Sri Lanka investment totalling $3.8 million. Thousands of students will benefit from the UNICEF-funded schools.

• But it was a solemn moment, too – a moment to remember the tsunami that destroyed their old schools and villages in December 2004. The scars of the tsunami are still scattered along the coastline here, tombstones and ruins from the time when the sea took the lives of more than 30,000 Sri Lankans.