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Browsing Project Reports by Author "Abayasekara, Ashani"
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Item Are there Good Quality Teachers for All Classrooms in Sri Lanka?(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaHighly qualified teachers in all classrooms are necessary for implementing education reforms aimed at modernizing and improving education in the country. Using School Census data for 2016, this study examines the adequacy of teachers for teaching mathematics, English and science at the secondary level in Sri Lanka, across provinces, and across different school categories. The study also analyses the distribution of government expenditure on teacher salaries across different types of schools. The study finds that although the available number of teachers for different subjects is sufficient at the national level, the available in-field and experienced teachers are inadequate to meet the current demand for such teachers. The study further finds that the deployment of teachers and the distribution of public expenditure on qualified teacher salaries are not equal across different categories of schools.Item Better Schools for Better O-Level Results in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaGood performance at the O-Levels is a pre-requisite for further education in Sri Lanka. Using School Census data for the year 2016, in this study we examine the impact of school-level resources on student performance at the O-Levels. We find largely consistent results employing three different methods of estimation, including a hierarchical linear modelling technique. Of the school characteristics considered, school status, school type, school size, school-generated funds from external sources, and the share of scholarship-holding students have significant impacts on O-Level performance. The share of experienced in-field teachers and qualified principals also matter, as well as the commitment of teachers, measured by teacher absence. From a policy perspective, our findings highlight the need for measures to improve school and teacher resource quality – particularly in smaller and 1C and Type 2 schools – and for incentives to minimize teacher absenteeism.Item Better Schools for Better O-Level Results in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaGood performance at the O-Levels is a pre-requisite for further education in Sri Lanka. Using School Census data for the year 2016, in this study we examine the impact of school-level resources on student performance at the O-Levels. We find largely consistent results employing three different methods of estimation, including a hierarchical linear modelling technique. Of the school characteristics considered, school status, school type, school size, school-generated funds from external sources, and the share of scholarship-holding students have significant impacts on O-Level performance. The share of experienced in-field teachers and qualified principals also matter, as well as the commitment of teachers, measured by teacher absence. From a policy perspective, our findings highlight the need for measures to improve school and teacher resource quality – particularly in smaller and 1C and Type 2 schools – and for incentives to minimize teacher absenteeism.Item What Prevents Equitable Access to Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka?(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2018) Arunatilake, Nisha; Jayawardena, Priyanka; Abayasekara, AshaniThe project proposes to identify whether free education has resulted in improving access to tertiary education to all. It also proposes to assess how inequalities in access to tertiary education result in inequalities in employment outcomes.