80% of Sri Lankan students lack basic maths and literacy skills, UNICEF reveals

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By Editor_1
Grade 5 students attend class at a school in Colombo on July 6, 2020. A staggering 80% of Sri Lankan children in Grades 3 and 8 lack foundational skills in mathematics and literacy, leaving them at risk of becoming unemployable in the future, UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative Emma Brigham has warned - J. Sujeewakumar/ENCL/File

COLOMBO – A staggering 80% of Sri Lankan children in Grades 3 and 8 lack foundational skills in mathematics and literacy, leaving them at risk of becoming unemployable in the future, UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative Emma Brigham has warned.

Speaking on the latest episode of UNplugged, a United Nations Sri Lanka digital series, Brigham said the country’s education system is failing to equip students with even the most essential competencies.

“That means they can’t go on to enter the workforce, and Sri Lanka simply isn’t able to compete with other countries that have really experienced graduates,” she said.

Brigham attributed the crisis to chronic underinvestment in the education sector, resulting in outdated curricula, limited resources, and an inability to keep pace with global trends in teaching and learning.

“Unfortunately, the education sector is not receiving the investment it needs,” she said, adding, “Children are still going to school, they are still sitting in classrooms, but they are not learning as much”.

As a result, students who complete school often lack the foundational and employability skills required in modern job markets.

UNICEF has urged Sri Lanka to accelerate curriculum reforms, including integrating digital learning tools and modern teaching methods to better prepare students for future challenges.

Brigham highlighted the urgent need to redesign syllabi to include strong numeracy, literacy, and digital competencies, calling these the minimum requirements for competitiveness in today’s global economy.

She noted that UNICEF’s strategy in Sri Lanka places increasing emphasis on early childhood and primary education, based on evidence that children who develop core skills in their early years perform significantly better throughout their schooling.

“Our support focuses, and will increasingly focus, on the younger years,” Brigham said.

UNICEF plans to expand assistance in several key areas, including teacher training and professional development; curriculum modernization; strengthening partnerships with the Ministry of Education and enhancing learning outcomes in pre-primary and primary grades

The warning comes amid growing concern that Sri Lanka’s prolonged economic crisis, teacher shortages, and budget cuts are deepening inequalities in the education system.

UNICEF’s call for urgent reform highlights the long-term risks: without strong foundational education, the next generation may struggle to escape poverty, secure employment, or drive the country’s economic recovery.

-ENCL

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