Sri Lanka - Institut de statistique de l'Unesco

Out-of-School Children in Sri Lanka: Country Study
Life stories of never-enrolled children
Life stories 10 , recounted either by children who had never enrolled in school or by their caregivers,
illustrate the information gained from the respondents above. Relevant excerpts from life stories
are presented under the themes of poverty and related deprivation, disability, family
disputes/issues, parental lack of interest in education, and teacher attitudes.
Several children suffered severe deprivations and were unable to enrol in school.
Seven-year-old Saritha, a girl from Colombo, begs with her mother near the Dehiwala
mosque. This helps them to earn money. However, it is an offence to go begging with children
and, if the police catch them, they are taken to court. Some days, they have no food in the
mornings, but there is always something for lunch and dinner. Her parents never went school.
The family lives in a small wooden hut built on an unauthorized land near the Keththaramaya.
The house does not have basic amenities other than a water tap.
Kanishka, an eight-year-old boy from Ampara, said that because of poverty and indifference
his parents had never thought about his education. There are eight family members living in
their one-roomed house. As the house is built of metal sheets, they are unable to stay inside
during the hot season.
Nishantha, a 13-year-old boy from Ampara, explained how the home and area he lives in
lacks the environment for studies, instead he plays games and spends his time uselessly.
Disability also emerged as an indicator of non-enrolment. The following descriptions show how
children have been affected by various disabilities. In most cases, disability was not the only
cause of non-enrolment. Even when children could have received some education despite their
disability, parental poverty or lack of knowledge prevented them from doing so.
Farooque, a nine-year-old boy from Puttalam, cannot speak, cannot walk, his hands and legs
do not function, and his mental faculties are impaired. He has a brother with similar
disabilities.
Sashini, a 13-year-old girl from Ratnapura, is unable to walk. Her mother says that her bones
are weak, so she cannot attend school. However, although Sashini is disabled, she is able to
attend to her own personal needs such as washing herself, using the toilet, etc.
Ravindra, a 14-year-old boy from Ratnapura, has epilepsy and ‘lifeless’ legs. As a result,
someone always has to be with him. This has prevented his mother from going to work.
Yasas, an 18-year-old from Nuwara Eliya, never went to school, as he has a serious speech
impediment with acute stammering. He uses his both hands to express himself. His parents
and sister easily understand him. His parents did not know about speech therapy, although
this could have helped Yasas to a certain extent. They did not have the time, money and
awareness to take Yasas to Kandy or Colombo for treatment.
Dravid, a 12-year-old boy from Badulla, fell sick and both of his legs became paralysed. “I am
unable to walk. I cannot play like other children. I cannot go to school. I have no friends. I
cannot go for any religious activities. Someone has to carry me but it is not easy because I
am fat. If the school was closer to my house, I could perhaps go and study.”
10
Names have been changed.
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