1.3 The British Period: (1796 - 1948 )
The British had their influence in the maritime provinces since 1796, long before they conquered the Kandyan Kingdom. Governors like Robert Brownrigg (1812) paid more attention to education and conversion of local people to Christianity. Christian literature books were printed locally and in Culcutta for distribution. The period from 1805 - 1824 was known as Missionary Period as so many Christian Missionary Societies were active in the field of education during this period, starting schools in all provinces of the country.
The Industrial Revolution in Europe , while creating fresh sources of income caused a reorientation of wealth . The Colonies under the British were in the first instance a source of trade commodities - the traditional spices as a source of income were soon found to be inadequate and when the British embarked on investment in agriculture by clearing the jungles and planting coffee, a new concept of agriculture as a source of money was introduced into Sri Lanka and the country slowly moved out of the mediaeval era into the modern age. The construction of roads assisted the opening of land for plantations and link them with the harbours in Colombo and Galle.. The use of British currency, introduction of the system of justice based on the Roman -Dutch Law - a legacy of the Dutch occupation - brought about new concepts of law, justice and freedom.
As many different organizations were involved in the field of education during this period there was no proper supervision or administration. Colebrook Commission that was in Sri Lanka put forward the following recommendations for the reorganization of the Education System in the country (1831):
- A commission to manage education should be appointed
- English should be the medium of instruction in all the schools
- A college should be started for English Education
- English educated youths should be given government jobs
A Commission was appointed for the administration of all the schools and The Colombo Academy with teachers from England was started in 1836 to train teachers for teaching in the English medium. The main shortcoming in this system was the fact that there was no place for the Vernacular schools all over the country. However Governor
Mackenzy later proposed the following reforms :
- Reorganize all government schools
- Link the Missionary schools to the government schools
- Admit children to all schools without consideration of the religion
- Take steps to develop vernacular schools, supply books and arrange for translation of books in to National Languages.
- Start an Institution for Training teachers
- Appoint Inspectors of Schools
- Reorganize the School Commission
The implementation of these recommendations brought about a remarkable change in the education system of the country. In 1841 the School Commission was replaced by The Central School Commission with the Asst Secretary of State as the Chairman and Chief Inspector of Schools as the secretary. A system of primary schools, Bilingual Schools and Vernacular schools was started. Central Schools and Girls Schools were started in the main towns like Colombo, Galle and Kandy. The Colombo Academy was upgraded.
However, when the Chairman of the Commission returned to England, a Priest of the Church of England was appointed in his place and the schools once again turned out to be institutions for teaching Christianity. On a request made by M. Kumaraswamy, a Member of the Legislative Council, a Committee was appointed to inquire into the Education in Sri Lanka with R.F.Morgan as the Chairman, in 1865. Morgan Committee put forward the following recommendations:
- Abolition of the Central School Commission
- Establishment of a Department of Public Instruction under a Director of Education
- Appointment of an Inspector Of Schools for every District in the Country.
- The government should take the responsibility of Education in the country
- Primary Education should be in the National Languages and Secondary Education should be in English medium
- A Technical School and an Institution to train Technical Teachers should be started
- Colombo Academy should be reorganized and Scholarships should be awarded to study in Oxford
- Schools for girls should be opened
- Two Institutions, one for training teachers for vernacular schools and the other for training teachers for Bilingual schools should be opened.
On these recommendations The Department of Public Instruction was started in 1869, and the administration, payments, supplies, curriculum and examinations, supervision and opening or closing of schools came under this Department. The Missionary schools came under the supervision of the Department and the curriculum began to be secularized. Further the system of grants in aid made it incumbent upon the government to exercise some control over all such assisted schools
During the last quarter of the 19th Century the following Institutions were started by the government:
- Medical College - Medical College of Ceylon was started in 1870 and was recognized by the British medical Association in 1889.
- Law College - Started in 1895
- School of Agriculture - A School of Agriculture was opened in Colombo in1884 and the School of Agriculture in Peradeniya was opened in 1909.
- Technical College - Government Technical College was started in 1893 in Colombo. Technical Schools, mainly Carpentry Schools were opened in villages from 1881 and by 1930 there were 146 such Technical Schools in the Island.
- University College - As there was no provision for Higher Education in the country The University College was established in Colombo in 1921 to prepare students for the external examinations of the University of London.
Religious Resurgence.
In mid 19th Century, due to the opening of large numbers of Christian schools, Buddhist and Hindu Children were compelled to attend the Christian schools and very often they were compelled to follow classes in Christianity. As a result Buddhist organizations with the help of leading Buddhist Priests started Buddhist schools in lands and buildings donated by parents, in various provinces of the country and got them registered as Assisted Buddhist Schools. Similarly leading Hindus and Muslims started Hindu Schools and Muslim Schools in different urban centres of the country.
Col. Henry Steel Olcott came to Sri Lanka in 1880, organized the Buddhist Theosophical Society and started a number of Buddhist Schools in the Island such as Ananda College, Colombo; Dharmaraja College, Kandy and Mahinda College, Galle. By 1900 there were 142 such Buddhist schools with 18,700 children. Buddhist schools for girls were also started
Leading Hindus like Arumuga Navalar and Ponnambalam Ramanathan encouraged various Hindu Organizations to start Assisted Hindu Schools and by 1900 there were 45 schools with over 5000 students, in different parts of the country.
Similarly, Muslim leaders like M.C.Siddilebbe started a Muslim school in Kandy and later, Muslim Organizations opened Zahira College in Gampola, and Zahira College in Colombo in 1892. These schools were registered as Assisted Schools in 1895.
Thus by the beginning of the 20th Century the opportunities for education in Sri Lanka were numerous with Government schools, Missionary schools, Buddhist schools, Hindu schools and Muslim schools.
- In 1921 , the total population was - 4, 504,549
- Number of children attending School - 404,430
- Percentage of children attending school - 09%
Percentage of Literates in the country as indicated in the Census Reports:
year |
Males- % |
Females - % |
Both sexes- % |
1901 |
42.0 |
8.5 |
26.4 |
1911 |
47.2 |
12.5 |
31.0 |
1921 |
56.4 |
21.2 |
39.9 |
1946 |
0.1 |
43.8 |
57.8 |
Development of Education during the State Council Era- 1931 - 1947.
With the adoption of the recommendations of the Donoughmore Commission in 1931, the Legislative Council made way for the State Council with its members elected by the people and with Executive Committees and Ministers. Dr. C.W.W.Kannangara was the first Chairman of the Executive Committee for Education and the country's first Minister of Education. It was Dr. Kannangara's efforts that placed Education on firm ground with the introduction of free education for all children from kindergarten to the University, the adoption of the national languages as the media of instruction, the establishment of Central Schools and Junior Schools which for the first time opened for poor parents of rural Sri Lanka the opportunity of obtaining a good education for their children.
With the passing of the Education Ordinance of 1939 in the State Council, the executive Committee for education was able to exercise the powers to make regulations and clearing the way for the establishment of a new system of education that would ensure a genuine democratization of education through the provision of equal opportunities for all children irrespective of social class, economic condition, religion and ethnic origin.
In 1942 a Special Committee was appointed with Dr. C.W.W.Kannangara as the Chairman, to report on the status of education in the country and its Report was published in 1943. Amongst other matters the Special Committee made certain recommendations of lasting educational value to the nation.:
i. Education should be free from the Kindergarten to the University.ii. Mother tongue should be used as the medium of instruction in the Primary Schools.
iii. English shall be taught in all schools from standard III.
iv. A curriculum for the child which would develop its "head, heart and hands" should be introduced. In other words, the education of the emotions is as necessary as the education of intellect and practical ability for the well-being of the child.
Dr. Kannangara as the Minister of Education was responsible for implementing the recommendations of the Special Committee and introducing many reforms:
i. Make available to all children a good education free of charge, so that education ceases to be a commodity purchasable only by the urban affluent.ii. Make national languages the media of instruction in place of English so that opportunities for higher education, lucrative employment open only to small number of the urban affluent, would become available to others as well.
iii. Rationalize the school system so that educational provision is adequate, efficient and economical.
iv. Ensure that every child is provided with instruction in the religion of his/her parents.
v. Protect teachers from exploitation by managers of schools.
vi. Make adequate provision for adult education.
The immediate consequence of the principle of free education was to give a bonanza to the rich by giving them free education without payment. The masses continued to receive free, the poor quality education that had all along been free for them, except for a very small number who could get admission to previously fee-levying schools. It is in this context that Government Central Schools became the medium through which the benefits of free education percolated to the masses.
Beginning in 1941, 53 Central schools were established, with the best available teachers and facilities providing an education equaling that of the best fee-levying schools. As from 1943, an annual scholarship programme was initiated entitling 20 best performers at the scholarship examination to free board and lodging in the Central School hostels. A noteworthy feature was that girls were able to compete for places in the Central Schools and were eligible for free board and lodging in the hostels for girls.
The doors to education at all levels have been opened without any restrictions on the grounds of caste, creed or social status. The aspirations and ambitions of both parents and children were set on higher targets. The educational explosion of 1945 was being felt at the seats of higher learning and the demand for a University education was becoming more and more pressing. Therefore, widespread opportunity had to be provided to all individuals for the development of their individual potentialities in Universities, Colleges of Technology or other Institutions for Higher Education.