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Copyright and Use of This Thesis This Thesis Must Be Used in Accordance with the Provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Copyright Service. sydney.edu.au/copyright School Choice: The case of Sri Lankan International Schools by Virandi Wettewa A Thesis Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Education and Social Work University of Sydney January 2015 i Faculty of Education and Social Work Office of Doctoral Studies ___________________________________________________________________________ Author’s Declaration This is to certify that: I. This thesis comprises only of my original work towards the Doctor of Philosophy in Education Degree II. Due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other materials used III. This thesis does not exceed the word length for this degree IV. No part of this work has been used for the award of another degree V. This thesis meets the University of Sydney’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) requirements for the conduct of research Signature: ____________________________________________________ Name: _______________________________________________________ Date: ________________________________________________________ ii Acknowledgments Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. -Henry Ford This thesis would not have been possible if not for the guidance and help I received from a number of wonderful individuals I met along the way. From the very first instance that I emailed Associate Professor Nigel Bagnall, inquiring if he is interested in supervising my thesis, his support has been unparalleled. Your encouragement, dedication, wisdom and kindness helped me to grow intellectually. Nigel, it has indeed been my pleasure working with you. I take this moment to not only thank you for your academic guidance but for your moral support. It’s not often that you come across a supervisor who shares the same love for cricket as yourself! To my auxiliary supervisor, Associate Professor Tim Allender, I owe you much gratitude for the time and effort you spent in getting my thesis proposal through whilst Nigel was away and the constant constructive feedback you provided that helped develop my arguments. Thank you for reading my numerous drafts! Thank you Dr. Rachel Wilson for setting the stage for the initial phase of this PhD through your DARP course. Thank You Dr. Arathi Sriprakash for your support at both the academic and professional front. To Alex McCormick, I want to pay special thanks for encouraging me and providing the opportunity to pursue my passion for teaching. Thank you for being my tutor, colleague and friend. Next, I wish to thank the participants of this research who shared their time and stories with me. I thank them for being honest, welcoming me to their schools and displaying true Sri Lankan hospitality. To the board of directors, staff, pupils and parents of the four international schools, your valuable input is the core of this research. Likewise, to the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, your views represent that of the state and I am grateful for the time and sincerity you devoted to my research. I am unable to mention names due to the anonymity guarantee but to each and every one of you: Thank You! Many thanks to Dr. S.B. Ekanayake for the robust discussions and insightful comments on Sri Lankan education. I am also grateful to Mrs. Devika Rajaratne for her efficient and timely aid in transcribing the interviews. To Patricia, muchas gracias for being my PhD buddy; discussing research regardless of time and space! All my friends in Sydney deserve a special mention. If not for your friendship, love and support, I would not have been able to build a home away from home for the last four years. You know who you are! Last but certainly not least, I am most grateful to my parents and brother. Your love, generosity and support no matter what means the world to me. And kuku, you manage to bring a smile to my face with your ‘kwak kothok’ in the darkest of hours. Without you three, this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you for being my strength!! iii Dedication To Apuchchi and Ammi, I thank you both for your unconditional love. iv Abstract Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural state comprising of four major ethnic groups speaking three languages. The ‘Swabasha’ policy requires all students to be educated in their mother tongue perpetuating ethnic segregation along linguistic divides. State owned, semi-governmental and private schools follow the National Curriculum under the Ministry for Education. In 1961, Sri Lanka banned the establishment of any new private schools in the country. Private schools as well as English medium education started by Christian missionaries during British rule were seen to evoke colonial pro-elitist sentiments and symbolize a driving force for social stratification. Since then, there has been a profusion of institutions claiming to be ‘International Schools’. These schools exist within a loophole in the legal framework, established under the ‘Company’s Act’ and welcome students from all linguistic backgrounds to study in the English medium. However, by imposing high fees, these schools accentuate class-based discrimination. Since the majority of students attending these international schools are locals, this study looks at the government concerns as well as the various stakeholder consternations via a mixed method study conducted in four contrasting case studies. It was found that opting for an international education was a privileged option open to a minority of Sri Lankans, which ascertained their competitiveness in a global society. However, although English proficiency and foreign credentials allow for a competitive edge in neo-liberal times, grounding oneself in the local culture was of paramount importance. These international schools were giving rise to a generation of Sri Lankans that had more in common with those from the countries where their pedagogical system originated rather than their local counterparts from their immediate vicinity. International schools hence need to incorporate both the local and the global if they are to truly achieve the internationalism that they take pride in. v Table of Contents School Choice: The case of Sri Lankan International Schools ......................... i Author’s Declaration ..................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ........................................................................................ iii Dedication .................................................................................................... iv Abstract ......................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ......................................................................................... vi List of Tables and Figures ............................................................................ ix Glossary of Terms .......................................................................................... x Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................... 1 Research Title ........................................................................................................... 1 Research Summary .................................................................................................. 1 Overview of the Thesis ............................................................................................ 2 Context of the Study ................................................................................................ 3 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ................................................................................................ 9 Significance of the Research ................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Basis ..................................................................................................... 11 School Choice – An overview .............................................................................. 11 School Choice – parental priorities ................................................................... 14 School Choice -the information gathering process ......................................... 15 School Choice -the perceived
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