Gender Equality in Education in Sri Lanka

Gender equality in education is an issue of global concern since it equalizes the formation of human capital and labour productivity between males and females. Hence, a gender equality analysis on education is essential to understand the situation and necessary policy interventions.

This paper aims to investigate how equally education and training are distributed between males and females in Sri Lanka. The study is mainly based on institutional data obtained from the Department of Education, University Grants Commission, and the Department of Census and Statistics. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of quantitative data. Results show that the country has achieved gender equality education in many aspects. However, it reveals that student enrolments in grade one in National in schools, engineering and technology study programmes in universities, vocational and non-formal training courses under technical, vocational, and non-formal education are male-biased. The enrolments in bio-science centred streams in universities, by contrast, are female-biased.

The findings highlighted the need for policy intervention in minimizing gender inequality in Grade one admissions in National schools, enrolments in engineering, technology, and bio-science centred study programs, and vocational and non-formal training courses.