Colombo, 85% of primary school children have serious gaps in literacy and math

In a report relaunched by Unicef the serious effects of the economic crisis on schooling. Sri Lanka now spends less than 2% of its GDP on education, one of the lowest in all of South Asia.

Colombo (Asia News) - “85% of third grade children in Sri Lanka do not reach the minimum literacy and numeracy skills. The country ranks last in South Asia in terms of education spending”. Unicef has denounced him, citing a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Education.

According to Unicef, the learning crisis has hit the most vulnerable children most of all, including the youngest in primary school and those living in the plantation region. "Sri Lanka currently devotes less than 2% of its GDP to education, which is well below the international benchmark of 4-6% of GDP and among the lowest in the South Asian region," the statement read. In partnership with the Sri Lankan government, the UN children's agency has launched a nationwide initiative to help 1.6 million primary school children affected by prolonged school closures and sporadic disruption of education in the past three years, to catch up on their learning.

"It is urgent to increase the national budget allocation for education - commented the Minister of Education Susil Premajayanthe - especially for elementary classes, where it is necessary to enhance basic learning for children, while ensuring the implementation of vitally important education reforms so that we can build the strong human resource skills needed to support the country's development."

As the country moves towards economic recovery, prices of basic necessities, including school books and stationery, remain high, making it difficult for families experiencing financial hardship to cover the costs of education and support the continuous learning of their children.