Govt. schools have 61% female teachers
Female teachers employed in government schools far outnumber their male counterparts, with the majority of Sri Lanka's next generation of adults coming under their guidance.
The Chairman of the National Education Commission (NEC), Prof. Lukshman Jayatilaka, told Ceylon Today that according to statistics collated in 2011, the total number of teachers in government schools is 219,886. Of that number, 157,279 (or 71%) are females while rest – 62,607 (or 29%) are males.
Prof. Jayatilaka said the NEC has received several complaints from principals of schools who aver that most female teachers are not proficient in some of the subjects they teach, especially when it comes to teaching in laboratories; they seem more capable of imparting theoretical knowledge but fall short when it comes to teaching in labs. "Female teachers show a marked lack of enthusiasm to teach in a laboratory where experiments and tests are conducted. As a result, students following subjects in the Science stream are at a disadvantage if the subjects they follow are taught by female teachers," he lamented.
Looking at the results of national exams, girls seem to have outnumbered the boys in gaining entrance to universities as well. Out of a total intake of 26,444 undergraduates this year, selected on the results of the 2011 GCE Advanced Level Examination, girls constitute 61% or 16,440 placements while males accounted for only 39% or 10,004 entrants.
Analysts say, this shows that not just the teaching profession but other areas of employment too could be female-dominated in the foreseeable future.
Category: Local
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