Sri Lanka Teachers' Service Efficiency Bar (EB) Exam cheat sheet

Sri Lanka's National Institute of Education (NIE) develops the national school curriculum; the Teacher Education and Administrative structure is governed by the Ministry of Education.

Bloom's revised taxonomy order: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, Create - used to write learning objectives at increasing cognitive demand.

A lesson plan in the Sri Lankan school context typically follows: introduction (motivation), development (activities), conclusion (summary), and evaluation (assessment).

Competency-based curriculum (introduced 2007, revised 2015/2018) organises learning around competencies, not just content; the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) fits this approach.

Constructivism (Piaget, Vygotsky) holds that learners build knowledge from experience; Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) defines what a learner can do with guidance but not alone.

Formative assessment informs teaching during learning; summative assessment judges achievement at the end of a unit or term.

Teaching methods: lecture (teacher-centred, efficient for facts), discussion (develops reasoning), demonstration (shows process), project method (Kilpatrick; integrates skills over time), inquiry/discovery (learner-centred).

Individual differences require differentiated instruction: vary content, process, and product according to readiness, interest, and learning profile.

Questioning technique: use wait time (3-5 seconds), open questions for higher-order thinking, and avoid answering your own questions; probing questions extend student responses.

Free education from Year 1 to university level was established by the Free Education Act No. 5 of 1945 (C.W.W. Kannangara), abolishing tuition fees in government schools.

Compulsory education: Education Ordinance provisions and the Compulsory Education Act make school attendance compulsory for children aged 5 to 14 (Grades 1-9).

The Education Ordinance No. 31 of 1939 provides the legal framework for school administration, teacher appointment, and discipline.

Administrative hierarchy: Ministry of Education (national policy) → Provincial Councils (13th Amendment, 1987, devolved education) → Zonal Education Offices → Divisional Education Offices → schools.

Provincial Councils handle Grades 1-11 (primary/secondary); the National/central Ministry handles Grades 12-13 (GCE A-Level) and national schools.

The National Education Commission (NEC), established by Act No. 19 of 1991, advises on education policy; its reports (e.g., 2003 proposals) shape reform.

The Sri Lanka Teacher Service (SLTS) was introduced in 2008, replacing earlier teacher service categories with a unified scheme of recruitment, promotion, and salary.

School heads are responsible for implementing national policy, maintaining records, and reporting to the Zonal Director; circulars from the Ministry are binding administrative instruments.

Teacher transfers, promotions, and disciplinary procedures are governed by Ministry circulars and the Establishments Code, not by individual school discretion.

School-Based Assessment (SBA) in Sri Lanka was introduced to reduce exam pressure and assess continuous learning; it contributes a defined percentage to the final grade in some subjects.

SBA uses multiple assessment tools: assignments, projects, practical work, observation, portfolios, and oral presentations, recorded in the student's assessment record.

Assessment must be valid (measures what it claims), reliable (consistent across occasions/markers), fair, and practical.

Marks/grades should use criteria (rubrics) with clear descriptors; a rubric states performance levels against criteria, reducing marker subjectivity.

Formative feedback should be specific, timely, and action-oriented (what to improve and how), rather than a bare mark.

Norm-referenced assessment compares a student to peers; criterion-referenced assessment compares performance to defined standards - SBA is predominantly criterion-referenced.

A test item's difficulty index = proportion answering correctly; discrimination index compares high-scoring and low-scoring groups' performance on the item.

Reliability improves with more items, clear marking schemes, double marking of subjective work, and marker training.

Records of SBA must be maintained, moderated internally, and be available for external verification by zonal/ministry officers; falsification is a disciplinary offence.

The Children and Young Persons Ordinance and the Penal Code (as amended) criminalise child abuse; teachers have a duty to report suspected abuse to the relevant authorities (police, probation, or child protection services).

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Act No. 50 of 1998 established the NCPA to coordinate child protection; it operates a 24-hour hotline for reporting abuse.

Corporal punishment is prohibited in Sri Lankan schools by Ministry circular and the Children's Charter; disciplinary measures must be non-violent and proportionate.

Inclusive education means educating children with disabilities/special needs in mainstream schools with appropriate support, not segregation; the Salamanca Statement (1994) is a key international reference.

Sri Lanka's disability policy and the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No. 28 of 1996 prohibit discrimination and support access to education.

Reasonable accommodation: adapting curriculum, assessment, physical access, and communication (e.g., Braille, sign language, extra time) so a learner with a disability can participate on equal terms.

Child-friendly schools promote safety, participation, health, and non-discrimination; bullying and ragging must be addressed through school policy and reporting mechanisms.

Student welfare includes school health programmes, nutrition (school meal programmes), counselling services, and safe transport; the school should maintain confidential records.

Mandatory reporting: teachers who suspect abuse must act on reasonable suspicion, not wait for proof, and must avoid interviewing the child in a way that contaminates evidence.

Sri Lanka's ICT in education drive includes the ICT curriculum for schools, computer learning centres, and the 'Nenasa' distance-education initiative using satellite/TV.

TPACK model: effective technology integration requires Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge, not technology alone.

SAMR model (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) describes levels of technology integration from replacing tools to transforming tasks.

Blended learning combines face-to-face instruction with online components; the flipped classroom delivers content online before class and uses class time for active work.

Digital citizenship covers safe, ethical, and responsible technology use: privacy, cyberbullying, plagiarism, and netiquette.

Copyright and fair use: educational use of copyrighted material is limited; teachers should attribute sources and use openly licensed resources where possible.

Data protection: student records and personal data should be stored securely, accessed on a need-to-know basis, and not shared publicly.

Assessment with ICT includes e-portfolios, online quizzes with automatic feedback, and collaborative tools; validity and accessibility must still be checked.

Digital divide: unequal access to devices and connectivity requires schools to plan equitable ICT use rather than assuming home access.

Sri Lanka's official languages are Sinhala and Tamil, with English as the link language (Official Languages Act No. 33 of 1956; 13th Amendment).

Teachers must respect the language rights of students and parents, providing communication in a language they understand where feasible.

Effective classroom communication: clear articulation, appropriate pace, eye contact, questioning, and checking understanding through feedback.

Active listening involves attending, paraphrasing, and clarifying; it reduces misunderstanding in parent-teacher and staff interactions.

Professional ethics: integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, respect for dignity, avoiding conflicts of interest, and refraining from harassment or discrimination.

Confidentiality limits: information may be shared on a need-to-know basis or where there is a legal duty (e.g., child protection), but not for gossip or personal advantage.

Conflict of interest: teachers should not privately tutor their own students for payment, accept improper gifts, or use school resources for personal gain.

Written communication (circulars, reports, letters) should be factual, concise, courteous, and use correct official format and titles.

Non-verbal communication (posture, proximity, tone) influences classroom climate; sarcasm and public humiliation are ethically unacceptable.

Co-curricular activities in Sri Lankan schools include sports (athletics, cricket, volleyball), cadet corps, scouts/guides, drama, debate, and aesthetic activities.

Inter-school sports and cultural competitions are organised through zonal and provincial structures and the Ministry; participation builds discipline and teamwork.

The school development society (past pupils' association, parents' association, and school development committee) supports infrastructure and welfare.

Community service and shramadana (collective voluntary work) link the school to its locality and build civic responsibility.

School-community relations require transparent communication, shared decision-making, and responsiveness to parent concerns through formal channels.

Leadership in co-curricular activities requires planning, risk assessment, supervision ratios, and parental consent for off-site events.

Student leadership (prefects, student councils) develops responsibility; it must be inclusive and free from favouritism or ragging.

Partnerships with health, police, and local government support safety, health, and civic programmes; the school coordinates rather than acts alone.

Documentation of co-curricular participation supports holistic student records and can inform character/leadership development.