Sri Lanka - Institut de statistique de l'Unesco

Out-of-School Children in Sri Lanka: Country Study
Nine-year-old Chandrahasan and 14-year-old Kaveeshawaran, two boys from Kilinochchi,
both said that long breaks without schooling had left them unable to understand lessons.
They both dropped out because they could not cope with school work.
Kathiresan, a 14-year-old boy from Kilinochchi, explained, “Our area was affected by the
conflict and we had to leave our house and seek shelter in other places. When they put us
in welfare institutions, we spent our time taking care of our basic needs. We did not want to
go to school. We really missed out on school.”
Sameera, also from Kilinochchi, said, “As a result of the conflict, my family had to leave
home and was pushed into poverty. The continuous displacement and being separated from
my family, relatives and friends affected my mental ability and totally destroyed my
eagerness for studies. Schools were also closed and their activities ceased.”
Janith, a 14-year-old boy from Batticaloa, explained that due to the conflict, and the frequent
closure of his school, he did not attend regularly. He was keen about his studies at the start
but lost interest later.
Orphans and vulnerable children
One of the main consequences of the conflict is the high number of orphans, abandoned and
destitute children. UNICEF estimates that 340,000 children aged less than 18 years have been
orphaned due to all causes in Sri Lanka (UNICEF, 2011). These children are particularly
vulnerable to non-schooling. Many have been placed in institutions, and are sent to the nearest
school for their education.
Jayatilleke and Amarasuriya (2005) studied 2,961 children in 86 institutions from four provinces.
They found that the majority of children in institutions were from families with socioeconomic or
relationship problems and were not necessarily orphaned. In North Eastern Province, in
particular, the conflict had resulted in displacement of families that had led to homelessness and
loss of income-generating opportunities. The study found that, except for children in remand
homes, all other children in state-run homes attended school. However, these children
experienced a number of difficulties that made them more likely to be excluded from or drop out
of school: they were stigmatized by other children at school; they lacked proper spaces and
environments for studying in their residential institutions; they were often overage for their grade
because of frequent disruption in their schooling; they were subject to discriminatory practices in
school; and some had problems being enrolled because they lacked birth certificates. Although
they valued education and were often given extra coaching, they did not perform well in school.
Principals and teachers complained of a lack of interest by caregivers in children’s activities, and
there was little interaction between the institution where children resided and the school they
attended. Although children with disabilities at these institutions were expected to take part in
formal education as part of their rehabilitation, most schools lacked properly trained teachers
and appropriate equipment to support them.
A similar situation was found by De Zoysa (2005) in a study that focused on the educational
achievement of 180 children in State Voluntary Homes who were attending school. There was a
significant difference in the achievement of institutionalized children and home-based children,
even when they attended the same schools. It concluded that the family backgrounds and
traumatic incidents experienced by the institutionalized children had affected them negatively
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