Socioeconomic Determinants of GCE A/L Subject Stream Selection in Sri Lanka: A Secondary Data Analysis

This study investigates the influence of parental income and educational attainment on students’ selection of subject streams at the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) in Sri Lanka. Utilising district-level secondary data from national education performance reports and household income and expenditure surveys, the study analyses how socio-economic background correlates with students’ choices among the Science, Commerce, Arts, and Technology streams. Analytical methods involved a two-step quantitative approach. First, Spearman’s rank correlation was employed to measure the strength and direction of the monotonic relationship between mean household income and stream-wise university eligibility rates. Second, a Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) model was used to assess whether income could significantly predict the most commonly selected stream within each district, treating dominant stream choice as a categorical dependent variable. The findings indicate that students from higher-income and better-educated families are more likely to select the Science and Commerce streams, while those from lower socio-economic backgrounds tend to opt for Arts or Technology. These results highlight enduring socio-economic disparities in the education system and underscore the need for targeted policy interventions, including improved career guidance services, financial support programs, and increased parental engagement initiatives to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students.