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Career Guidance in Sri Lankan Schools: Reality & Challenges - Keynote address
for Zoom webinar on Career Guidance

Presentation · June 2020

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Ananthamyl Nithlavarnan
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 Zoom webinar on Career Guidance
14th June 2020 Asia/Colombo @ 8.00pm
Keynote Address
Career Guidance in Sri Lankan Schools: Reality & Challenges
Mr.A.Nithlavarnan ,
BSc with Education(hons), BEd in Natural Science(OUSL), MEd, MPhil in Education for Sustainable
Development(UoC)
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Education,
University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Introduction
Now a days Sri Lanka faces lot of sustainability issues. Out of these unemployment is
critical issue. Youth unemployment rate is higher than other age group (Table-1).
Table-1

(Source: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20A/Apr14_1586888700CH.php)

Likewise female unemployment rate is higher than males (Table-2).

Table-2

(Source: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20A/Apr14_1586888700CH.php)

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School Career Guidance Programme in Sri Lanka

Career guidance plays a critical role in preparing students for the world of work which is a
basic Competency proposed by National Educational Commission of Sri Lanka in 2003. It is
widely recognized as an essential part of the learning process in the education system in Sri
Lanka. School career guidance programme can have a positive impact on students’
educational, career decisions and their academic performance. Career guidance and
Counseling unit was formed at Ministry of Education in 1983. Career Guidance Centers in
schools have been established according to the circular No.16/2006 and No. 6/2013.

Reality/Present situation
Most students and parents are not aware of the job opportunities including; self-employment,
alternative skill development and training options, and the varied careers available in the world
of work. Public school curriculum does not coincide labor market demands. Further most of the
youths pay more interest on Government jobs and neglecting/less interesting in some jobs such
as Forces, Nursing, ect. Marriage and dowry system in North also impact on their career and
unemployment.

Issues related to Career Guidance in Sri Lankan Schools

National Education Commission of Sri Lanka (2014) identified the following issues related to
Career Guidance in Sri Lankan Schools.
• Lack of Career Guidance policy at the Ministry level.
• Lack of a well-functioning organizational structure at National, Provincial and Zonal levels
• Absence of a National level mechanism to gather, analyze and disseminate Career Guidance
information to school.
• Career Guidance activities at school level are not systematically organized according to a
calendar.
• Lack of a clearly defined organizational structure at the school level.
• Absence of an established mechanism to train Career Guidance teachers and to update their
training competencies.
• Insufficient engagement of parents in Career Guidance.

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 • Lack of well prepared, reader friendly career guidance material to educate students and
parents.

Recommendations
National Education Commission of Sri Lanka (2014) also proposed the following
recommendations to overcome the issues related to Career Guidance in Sri Lankan Schools.
• The role of the In-Service Advisor at the zonal level must be strengthened
• Support the schools to establish links
• Develop area/community specific information and to monitor the effectiveness of career
guidance at schools
• Career guidance progress reports must be discussed at zonal, district and provincial levels
and appropriate corrective action taken.
• Teachers must be trained in career guidance
• Parents play a major role in guiding children in Asian countries and hence significant
effort must be made to reach this target group with relevant career guidance information.
• Career guidance seminars by external agencies, such as universities, TVET institutes,
Past Pupils' Associations, industry etc.

Concluding Remarks
Finally I would like to thank the organizers to give me an opportunity to present the
ground situation on career guidance in Sri Lankan schools. Thank you.

References
1. National Education Commission of Sri Lanka (2014) Study on Career Guidance in
general education in Sri Lanka, Research series (2019) –No.08
2. Unemployment among the males and youth higher in Sri Lanka in 2019, Colombo Page,
retrieved from http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20A/Apr14_1586888700CH.php on
14/06/2020

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