Multicultural education attempts through educational reforms

The goals of multicultural education (as identified by Banks 2008), peace building, good citizenship and social cohesion are compatible with the goals of Sri Lankan education policy documents. The school curriculum of Sri Lanka does not have multicultural education as a separate subject. However, the first report of the National Education Commission, (1992) focused on multicultural education among the national educational goals.

• The achievement of a functioning sense of national cohesion, national integrity and national unity.

• The establishment of a pervasive pattern of social justice and active elimination of inequalities.

• The evolution of a sustainable pattern of living a sustainable lifestyle.

• Seeking a livelihood and work opportunities that are, at one and the same time, productive and give avenues of self-fulfilment.

• Participation in human development that will support socio-economic growth of the country.

• Involvement in nation building activities, learning to care.

• Cultivating an element of adaptability to change, learn and adapt developing competency to guide change.

• Coping with the complex and the unforeseen; and achieve a sense of security and stability.

• Securing an honourable place in the international community

(NEC Report, 1992, cited by ESP Report, 2008, p.3). The National Education Commission (1992) introduced sets of basic competencies of education in Sri Lanka. Among the basic competencies, the third set of competencies is a focus on values and attitudes which argue that it is essential for the individual to

assimilate values which are consistent with the ethical, moral and religious modes of conduct, rituals, practices in everyday living, selecting that which is most appropriate. Nevertheless the Report of the General Education Reforms (1997) criticised the education system in Sri Lanka at that time. It explained that the education system did not produce the knowledge and understanding and the skills and attitudes appropriate for successful living. Further it explained that the development of the students’ total development, creativity, initiative, discipline, team spirit, respect and tolerance for other people and other cultures was not being achieved. Therefore, educational reform was an urgent priority. This reform in 1997 gave more priority to enable all people to access knowledge and information. It gave more attention to Sri Lankan values education and national integration. As values and morals cannot be taught through separate subjects, the reform suggested they should be learned continuously through all subjects and through all the

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years of schooling. For example, the teaching of religion can contribute to building appropriate values and morals. The policy makers believed that, during this process, students will learn to understand religious practices, values of other groups of children, understand other cultures and pay respect to them.

The Report of General Education Reforms (1997) covered the entire spectrum of general education from primary to junior and senior secondary levels, with the expected outcome of achieving the national goals and the five competencies. Changes were proposed in:

• the system of teaching-learning; • student guidance and counseling;

• subject curricular at all levels of schooling;

• the design, production, and provision of textbooks; • school-based evaluation processes;

• teacher education; and

• procedures for the effective management of schools to facilitate the implementation of reform.

The National Education Commission (2003) also identified that education has failed to promote nation building by fostering mutual understanding and tolerance and respect for the rich cultural diversity of Sri Lankan society and that the education process has made little contribution to ensuring social cohesion.

The new Education Act for general education in Sri Lanka (2009) includes two national goals relevant to multicultural education in Sri Lanka:

• Developing a Sri Lankan citizen with love and dedication to the motherland through fostering national cohesion, national integrity and national unity.

• Respecting human dignity, recognizing the pluralistic nature and cultural diversity in Sri Lanka, and upholding tolerance and reconciliation

(The new Education Act for general education in Sri Lanka, 2009, p.9). Every child should have the right to education. Therefore, the state ensures free education from kindergarten to university. The same education Act suggested Mother Tongue (Sinhala-Tamil) should continue to be the medium of instruction at primary and

secondary levels. Bilingual or English medium is an option at the Secondary level. Then the Act suggested the Sinhala language and Tamil language should be taught to every child to build social cohesion and social harmony in society and produce an individual committed to ethical values. For the same reason all children should learn about their religion. Considering this view, the New Education act (2009) suggested giving a compulsory period of education in school for religion. It concentrated on promoting

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national cohesion, national integrity and national unity through the education curriculum. These are the first set of National Goals and the entire education process is directed towards this objective. The policy makers worked from an assumption that education realizes unity in diversity through consistency in national policy and decentralization in implementation. Considering the need for promoting national unity the Act suggested the possibility of organising multi-ethnic schools in areas where the communities are multi ethnic. In these multi-ethnic schools all three languages can be used as a medium of instruction and children grow up together as Sri Lankans while understanding their heritage and respecting the culture of other communities (New Education Act for General Education in Sri Lanka, 2009).