Abstract
This paper relates the contemporary educational reforms in Sri Lanka to the processes of globalisation. The international monetary organisations such as the IMF and the World Bank and the regional organisations like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) play a dominant role in influencing the debt-receiving countries when it comes to their educational practice. The intensity of the influence of these organisations can vary depending on the existing educational policy of the aid receiving countries. This paper, after a brief introduction on globalisation, examines its effects on the education policy in Sri Lanka with a special emphasis on the current language policy. Equity in education is usually advocated at primary level based on the universal primary education concept so highly upheld by the World Bank. However, the present high human development indicators are undoubtedly due to Sri Lanka's free education policy in native languages. The paper concludes stressing the importance to retain the national education policy as a means of empowerment and liberation of its masses and creating stronger ethnic harmony.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asian Development Bank. 1999. Country Assistance Plan: Sri Lanka (2000–2002). Manila: Asian Development Bank.
Asian Development Bank. 2000. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors on a Proposed Loan to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for Secondary Education Modernization Project. Manilla: Asian Development Bank.
Bandarage, Asoka. 1998. College Degrees Bear Bitter Fruit in Sri Lanka. The Chronicle of Higher Education 45(17): B8.
Brock-Utne, Birgit. 2000. Peace Education in an Era of Globalization. Peace Review 12(1): 131–138.
Brock-Utne, Birgit. 2000. Whose Education for All: The Recolonization of the African Mind. New York and London: Falmer Press.
Canagarajah, Suresh. 1999. Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Carnoy, Martin. 2000. Globalization and Educational Restructuring. Paris: International Institute of Educational Planning.
Castells, Manuell. 1996. The Rise of the Network Society: The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Cox, Robert. 1996. Approaches to World Order: Globalization, Multiculturalism, and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dharmadasa, K. N. O. 1992. The Growth of Sinhala Nationalism in Sri Lanka. In: Language, Language, Religion, and Ethnic Assertiveness. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.
Davis, Scott, and Guppy, Neil. 1997. Globalization and Educational Reforms in Anglo-American Democracies. Comparative Education Review 41(4): 435–495.
Held, David et al. 1999. Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.
International Development Association. 1997. Project Appraisal Document: Second General Education Project. South Asia Region: International Development Association.
Jayaweera, Swarna. 1989. Extension of Educational Opportunity-the Unfinished Task, The C. W. W. Kannangara Memorial Lecture. Maharagama: National Institute of Education.
Jones, Philip. 1992. World Bank Financing of Education: Lending, Learning and Development (1–31, 219–268). London and New York: Routledge.
Jones, Philip. 1998. Globalization and Internationalism: Democratic Prospects for World Education. Comparative Education 34(2): 143–155.
Little. Angela, Lofstedt, J. I. and Jayaweera, Swarna. 1985. Human Resources Development in Sri Lanka: An Analysis of Education and Training. Swedish International Development Authority.
Little, Angela. 1996. Contexts and Histories: The Shaping of Assessment Practice. In: Little, Angela and Wolf, Alison, eds., Assessment in Transition: Learning, Monitoring and International Perspective. Pergamon.
Nyerere, Julius. 1968. Education for Self-Reliance. In: Nyerere, Julius, ed.,Essays on Socialism. Dar es Salaam: Oxford University Press.
Phillipson, Robert. 1999. The Globalization of Dominant Languages. In: Birgit Brock-Utne and Gunnar Garbo, eds., Globalization on Whose Terms. University of Oslo, Institute for Educational Research.
Ranasingha, Athula. 1999. A pearl of Great Price: The Free Education System in Sri Lanka. The Tinbern Institute, University of Amsterdam.
Sumathipala, K. H. M. 1968. History of Education in Ceylon (1796–1965). Dehiwala: Tissara Prakashakayo.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Punchi, L. Resistance Towards the Language of Globalisation – The Case of Sri Lanka. International Review of Education 47, 361–378 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017962029317
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017962029317