The role of pedagogy in peace building: A case from Sri Lanka’s non-formal secondary education sector

Abstract

Sri Lanka is a country in transition. The civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in 2009, with total defeat of the LTTE and many thousands of civilian casualties. The country is now engaged in a peace-building process through education. Key elements of the secondary school non-formal curriculum–truth-seeking, social cohesion and active citizenship–may contribute to this. Six state secondary schools serving different ethnic and religious groups were selected for qualitative research into how far this is the case. Data was collected on the application of knowledge, skills and values in lessons, extra-curricular programmers and whole school culture. The analysis suggests that truth-seeking is weak, with no teaching about the historical roots of the conflict or contemporary issues. There are efforts to build leadership skills and impart democratic values, but the critical thinking and discussion skills necessary for social cohesion and active citizenship are largely absent. However, there was encouraging evidence of non-formal pedagogical programs such as the school exchange and student parliament along with sport and arts programs providing a foundation to help foster peace.