OxPeace 2017: The role of school curriculum in sustainable peace-building: A case study from Sri Lanka

The civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in 2009, with total defeat of the LTTE and many thousands of civilian casualties. With the election of a new government in 2015, efforts are being made to address the ethno-religious and cultural tensions that led to the war. We have investigated how schools are contributing to truth-seeking, social cohesion and active citizenship, through a qualitative study of six state secondary schools in the north, south, east, west and centre of the country, covering the main different ethnic and religious groups. Teachers are trying to impart values and skills for social harmony, and there is a strong emphasis on leadership but little or no critical thinking or discussion.