The CED is determined to strengthen the national Civil Society to foster sustainable strategies so that it can effectively engage government and donors to bring about changes in education policy, budget and programmes in line with the six EFA (Education for All) goals using advocacy as the major mechanism, viz.
Expansion of early childhood care and education
Provision of free and compulsory primary education for all
Promotion of learning and life skills for young people and adults
Increasing adult literacy by 50 per cent
Achieving gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015
Budget Process & Budget Tracking in Formal School Education in SL
A budget is a quantified, planned course of action over a definitive time period. Budgeting is a basic function of government that reflects its developmental priorities. A budget serves as a plan for funding, showing the sources of revenue and ways of mobilizing funds over a given fiscal period. Hence, in the field of education too, the budget allocates funds to various sectors based on available resources and policy objectives. Budget Tracking and Evaluation make the government and institutions more accountable for the monies they spend on education.
Having considered the importance of this concept as a tool to keep watch over the use of resources, their allocation and distribution, targeting and timely transfer, the CED has taken it as a cornerstone in planning its activities. In 2008, the CED completed the research study entitled 'Budget Process and Budget Tracking in Formal Education in Sri Lanka' using an island wide sample of 135 schools from 27 educational zones. In the light of its findings, the CED has put in place advocacy programmes with concurrent school level budget tracking, to press for remedial action.
Budget Cycle Engagement promotes public debate on educational budgeting by investigating into the essential components of the Budget Process. It involves Participation, Budget Process, Budgetary Outcomes, Accountability, Transparency and Public Debate. It promotes parent and community involvement in the school level budgeting and with their social entrepreneurship skills and outreach capacity, the ground level realities are addressed better. Further, it calls for policy reorientation and consequent increase in public resources for education and changes in the budgetary allocation pattern especially in favour of the poor and the disadvantaged.
In spite of such advantages of wider participation, the institutional arrangement and the traditional bureaucracy hardly accommodate the community in the planning and budgeting processes. The aforesaid study highlights the need to involve parents, old pupils and well wishers in the preparation of school development plans. Having given due recognition to this, the CED has its plans to launch advocacy programmes in collaboration with School Development Societies while raising awareness of all stakeholders.
Mothers Education
“Listening to the Voice of the Mothers” – National Convention on Mothers Education in Sri Lanka 2008
A crowd of mothers, educational officials, representatives of the non government organizations filled to capacity at the Janakala Kendraya at Pelawatte, Battaramulla on the 13th of December 2008 attending the Mothers Education National Convention organized by the Coalition for Educational Development (CED)
The intention of the CED in organizing the Convention was to bring representative mothers from disadvantaged communities scattered throughout the country, with lower literacy, to one platform along with Policy makers, in order to make a voice for Mothers Education to be included in the National Adult Education Policy and advocate the policy makers to give Mothers Education its due prominence.
Approximately 480 mothers with lower literacy representing all communities, ethnic groups coming from eighteen districts except Killinochchi, Vavuniya, Jaffna in the Northern Province and few other districts of South attended the convention - may be the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. The total number of participants reached approximately 600.
The total number of mothers the entire campaign reached is much higher than this as there were provincial level programs prior to the national event in all these participating provinces and districts.
The Minister of Education Honorable Susil Premajayantha was due to participate at the National event but unfortunately he cancelled it at the last minute. Cancellation was done even after having sent his personal and official security teams to the convention premises. Due to the large number attending the convention from almost all the provinces we were told that his security team has instructed him against attending, due to the prevailing security concerns in the country. Therefore the participants and organizers both missed the opportunity of the much anticipated participation of the minister himself. Three other ministers namely Minister of Social Services, Human Rights and Women and Child affairs also invited but apologized for not being able to participate mostly due to the timing (being the year end) and the security concerns.
Nonetheless the following policy makers were present among the guests at the convention and address the gathering: Mrs. G Y Wijesuriya, Deputy Director, Department of Non formal Education, Ministry of Education (National); Mr. K Kekulandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Central Province, (Provincial); Dr. Godwin Kodituwakku, Director, National Institute of Education; Mr. Kamal Herath, Advisor-Education, Plan Sri Lanka
In addition to that mothers representing different disadvantaged community groups and ethnic groups of the country themselves spoke at the convention regarding the hardships they encounter due to lack of education and literary capabilities and the need to educate them. Many a heartfelt stories and experiences were shared by these mothers with those who were present at that day.
The policies addressed and advocated by the campaign were the Adult Education Policy and Non-Formal Education Policy.
The event was given the full media coverage by electronic media. Many leading electronic media organizations were present at the convention and the event was highlighted in the days News of the state media ‘Esanin Puwath’.
Last but not least the CED strengthened its capacity to identify vulnerable groups in relation to the subject and to create awareness, educate and mobilize them aiming policy changes at national level. As a result of which there are numerous requests to carry out educational programs to these mothers with lower literacy levels.
In overall it was one big event that was organized within a very short period of time with minimal resources and the lessons learnt by the CED are numerous, this report attempts to describe the CED’s experience in carrying out this Mothers Education Campaign as part of the Asia South Pacific Real World Strategies (RWS) funded by Asia South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE).
Literacy Influence Programme in Polonnaruwa District
Promotion of literacy especially of adults and mothers with a view to developing active citizenship and improving health and livelihood, and gender equality is an area identified by the CED for advocacy. UNESCO reports that Literacy is one of the most neglected of the six EFA goals. Most education programmes have focused on primary education and adult literacy has in most cases been neglected hence the huge number of illiterate adults.
Capacity Building of Partner Organizations
What capacity building concerns is the empowerment of the human factor of an organization to achieve its objectives effectively. It involves raising knowledge, improving skills and promoting attitudes of personnel in the organization. The CED works with a network of nearly 50 partner organizations located all over the island. Through an annual need survey the CED identifies the priority areas that need to be strengthened and plans its capacity building programmes accordingly. Research, Budget Tracking and Advocacy and Lobbying were reported as the foremost areas that need to be strengthened.
The CED is envisaging multifaceted approaches for capacity building which may include strategic and operational planning, training of staff, participation in conferences and workshops, developing sustainable strategies, monitoring and evaluation of the organizations work and peer to peer learning exchanges.
