ADB approves 400m to support education reforms in Sri Lanka

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday said it had approved 400 million dollars in loan to support Sri Lanka’s government in reforming its education system to meet the demand for highly skilled workers.

ADB Principal Social Sector Specialist for South Asia Uzma Hoque said this in a statement in Manila.

According to the Manila-based bank, the Secondary Education Sector Improvement Programme will support reforms under Sri Lankan government’s General Education Sector Development Plan for the 2020-2025 period, which focuses on upper secondary education.

The programme is expected to benefit about 953,000 students annually, the ADB added.

According to the bank, the programme will equip the young population with knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and commerce, which are fields of high economic relevance for Sri Lanka.

The ADB said the programme also focuses on improving teaching quality and teachers’ training given the importance of quality of teaching and method of instruction on learning.

More than 47,000 upper secondary education teachers will be trained on inquiry-based and interactive learning approaches to increase student interest and engagement with subject content and inspire a love of learning, the ADB said.

“A knowledgeable, agile, and skilled workforce that can leverage technology transfers and steer innovations could support Sri Lanka’s economic diversification and put Sri Lanka on a higher growth path,” Uzma said.

“The aim is to equip students with market-relevant skills and foster competencies that allow them to think critically, apply what they learn and adapt, which are key traits needed to survive and thrive in the modern world of work,” she said.