Digitalizing Grade 1 Admissions: Good Starting Point for Education Reforms

The discussion focuses on reforming the Sri Lankan education system through structural changes to curriculum and the digitalisation of school admissions. Dhananath and Charindra discussed the necessity of structural reform rather than just curriculum updates. Dhananath proposed a three-stream model based on Singaporean standards: separate tracks for teaching, school administration, and syllabus setting to ensure clear career progression and expertise. Dhananath argued that while entrepreneurship is difficult to teach formally, basic economics (inflation, supply, and demand) is essential for a functional workforce. Charindra suggested that law should be a mandatory subject from grade six onwards to combat ignorance of civic rights and traffic laws. The participants debated the contradiction of teaching entrepreneurship within a formal, conventional government system. Anushka addressed the failures in the current Grade 1 admission system, noting it is decentralised, paper-based, and prone to corruption. The current system allows for document fraud, bribery, and “backdoor deals” where parents fake addresses to gain proximity to elite schools.