Lessons from Passara – A report on people’s views and experiences on the quality of education in the plantation schools of Passara was released today. “Every child should have the right to have a good education’, said J.C. Weliamuna, Executive Director of TISL.
“Education is closely linked to good governance. Good governance will lead to less waste and to better use of resources, to more even deployment of teachers among all schools and to better trained teachers. This is particularly important for the plantation schools that suffer from poor education outcomes and high drop-out rates.”
The study, carried out in 2009, found that plantation schools and education office in the Passara division were operating under great difficulties. While achievements by the government, especially in regard to teacher training and textbook distribution, are acknowledged, the study found many irregularities: Circulars and employment contracts were frequently not available in Tamil; officials records indicated overstaffing of teachers at schools, but few teachers were found to be teaching at the schools; communication between principals, teachers and parents appeared to be minimal; discrimination was widespread and there was a lack of capacity to manage school finances and to involve parents and teachers in school management.
A comprehensive set of recommendations has been developed in conjunction with teachers, principals and local organizations.