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Browsing Institutional Electronic Repository by Author "Arunatilake, Nisha"
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Item Are there Good Quality Teachers for All Classrooms in Sri Lanka?(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaHighly qualified teachers in all classrooms are necessary for implementing education reforms aimed at modernizing and improving education in the country. Using School Census data for 2016, this study examines the adequacy of teachers for teaching mathematics, English and science at the secondary level in Sri Lanka, across provinces, and across different school categories. The study also analyses the distribution of government expenditure on teacher salaries across different types of schools. The study finds that although the available number of teachers for different subjects is sufficient at the national level, the available in-field and experienced teachers are inadequate to meet the current demand for such teachers. The study further finds that the deployment of teachers and the distribution of public expenditure on qualified teacher salaries are not equal across different categories of schools.Item Better Schools for Better O-Level Results in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaGood performance at the O-Levels is a pre-requisite for further education in Sri Lanka. Using School Census data for the year 2016, in this study we examine the impact of school-level resources on student performance at the O-Levels. We find largely consistent results employing three different methods of estimation, including a hierarchical linear modelling technique. Of the school characteristics considered, school status, school type, school size, school-generated funds from external sources, and the share of scholarship-holding students have significant impacts on O-Level performance. The share of experienced in-field teachers and qualified principals also matter, as well as the commitment of teachers, measured by teacher absence. From a policy perspective, our findings highlight the need for measures to improve school and teacher resource quality – particularly in smaller and 1C and Type 2 schools – and for incentives to minimize teacher absenteeism.Item Better Schools for Better O-Level Results in Sri Lanka(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Abayasekara, Ashani; Arunatilake, NishaGood performance at the O-Levels is a pre-requisite for further education in Sri Lanka. Using School Census data for the year 2016, in this study we examine the impact of school-level resources on student performance at the O-Levels. We find largely consistent results employing three different methods of estimation, including a hierarchical linear modelling technique. Of the school characteristics considered, school status, school type, school size, school-generated funds from external sources, and the share of scholarship-holding students have significant impacts on O-Level performance. The share of experienced in-field teachers and qualified principals also matter, as well as the commitment of teachers, measured by teacher absence. From a policy perspective, our findings highlight the need for measures to improve school and teacher resource quality – particularly in smaller and 1C and Type 2 schools – and for incentives to minimize teacher absenteeism.Item A Desk Review to Assess the Sri Lankan Girls' and Young Women's Economic and Social Empowerment for Leadership(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2017) Madurawala, Sunimalee; Arunatilake, Nisha; Madushni, Chethika; Karunaratne, NiroshaThe causes of women’s less political participation and less managerial positions held by women, and low levels of participation in the labour market, have not been analysed around political economic and social empowerment of girls and young women (i.e. girl’s participation in leadership and decision making at every level in order to catalyse the girls rights movement and bring about change) in Sri Lanka. At the same time, it will be beneficial for Girls and also the duty bearers to explore the policy / program and evidence points around the benefits of promoting more female social and economic empowerment from early childhood (norms and stereotypes) through to employment and later to elections and political parties (quotas, voting age etc.). In Sri Lanka there is very less evidence based research that highlights the causes of gender inequality and barriers to Girls empowerment and leadership. In this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the challenges faced by Sri Lankan Girls’ and Young Women - in social and economic spheres- for leadership roles. The methodology of this study took a qualitative approach, including a scan of national strategic documents, national policies, political and legal frameworks, development programmes of international agencies, complemented with consultations with government partners, corporates and community members, to gather insights and perspectives of the deep rooted challenges face by Girls and Young Women in Sri Lanka to take on leadership roles and engage in decision making. The consultations held nationally and in 5 representative Districts (Colombo, Anuradhapura, Monaragala, Batticaloa and Nuwara Eliya) demonstrate that gender inequality is felt across by the communities, as an important aspect of their community. Nevertheless, their varying degrees of understanding the subtle nuances of gender inequality and how that affects Girls future were based on their levels of awareness and deep analysis of these factors.Item Economic Challenges of Post Tsunami Reconstruction: Sri Lanka Country Study(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2007-01) Jayasuriya, Sisira; Weerakoon, Dushni; Arunatilake, Nisha; Steele, PaulThe aim of this study is to contribute to the discussions and debates on appropriate policies for the medium term reconstruction effort by providing an analysis of some of the priority issues emerging from Sri Lanka’s own experience of the posttsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation phase. To this end, the study also involved a survey of affected households in an attempt to obtain a broader understanding of the perceptions of the recovery process from the grass-root level.Item Education for promoting competitiveness and growth(2017-01-12) Arunatilake, NishaItem Impact of Trade on Employment(2018) Arunatilake, NishaItem The Incidence of Taxes and Spending in Sri Lanka(2023-07-11) Arunatilake, Nisha; Inchauste, Gabriela; Jayawardena, Priyanka; Lustig, NoraThis report seeks to answer (1) how much redistribution and poverty reduction is accomplished through taxes, social transfers and subsidies, (2) how progressive are revenue collection and government spending, and (3) what is the individual impact taxes and transfer policies have on inequality and poverty, given the fiscal resources used. The main contribution of this analysis is to provide systematic empirical evidence on the progressivity of the fiscal interventions. This study is a first comprehensive examination of Sri Lanka’s fiscal instruments and their ability to redistribute income and reduce poverty. The analysis finds that taxes and social spending were overall redistributive and poverty reducing in Sri Lanka in 2012/13, the latest year for which a household survey was available at the time of writing this chapter. Given the relatively low level of revenue and the limited fiscal space, overall social spending was small, leading to very limited impacts.Item Integrating Migrant Workers in Labour Market Participation Analysis(2023-07-11) Arunatilake, Nisha; Madurawala, Sunimalee; Jayawardena, PrThis study was conducted with two main objectives: a) to identify the gaps in migration related information to integrate migrant workers into standard labour market analysis; 2) to estimate how including migrant workers in the analysis will affect the estimates of labour force participation of females. The study finds that while worker migration contributes in many ways to the Sri Lankan economy, at present the country does not collect all information needed to integrate migrant workers into labour market analysis. The study also shows that at present surveys do not collect important information on migrant workers such as remittance information, skill levels of migrant workers, and information on returnee migrants. Such information is vital to design policies to obtain maximum benefits from migration and to reintegrate returnee workers to the country. This study reviews survey instruments of three other high‐migration countries ‐‐ Macedonia, Moldova, and the Philippines – to identify best practices in collecting migration related data. The study provides recommendations to strengthen data gaps on migrant workers using both the review of data sources within Sri Lanka and the experience of earlier mentioned three countries. Re‐estimating labour market indicators integrating migrant workers, with proxy estimates for missing data, shows that labour force participation rates of the population only marginally change when migrant workers are included.Item Labour Market Trends - Informality in the Sri Lankan Labour Market(2014-01-09) Arunatilake, Nisha; Jayawardena, PriyankaThis report presents preliminary analysis of secondary data on the Sri Lankan labour market. Section A provides a general over view of the labour market trends in the country. Section B of the report provides an overview of the characteristics and trends of the informal sector in Sri Lanka. The next section of the report, section C, analyses the determinants of participation in the informal sector. Detailed results of secondary data analysis and regressions results along with information on variable construction are given in the appendices.Item Labour, Employment and Human Resources Management(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2016-11) Arunatilake, NishaThis report uses information from the Census of Population and Housing 2012 (Census 2012) to conduct labour market analyses that were not possible with other data sources. The report specificallyfocuses on the following research areas: a) Labour market outcomes of the population with difficulties b) The prevalence and types of science and technology workers in Sri Lanka c) Unemployment rates, by education level and DS level d) Labour force participation rate, by education level and DS levelItem Living Wage Report Sri Lanka Estate Sector(2023-07-11) Thibbotuwawa, Manoj; Jayawardena, Priyanka; Arunatilake, Nisha; Gunasekera, NelukaThis report estimates a living wage for the workers in the estate sector (tea plantation industry) in Sri Lanka in December 2015. The study uses the Anker methodology to estimate the living wage (Anker, 2005; Anker & Anker, 2017). This methodology has been widely used in developing countries to estimate living wages internationally. This methodology has been used to estimate living wages in urban, rural, and non-metropolitan urban settings for the GLWC with 23 living wage estimates published or scheduled for publishing in the next two months, spanning geographies in 13 countries. This work is an expansion of earlier work by the Ankers in urban areas for a multi-national corporation spanning ten countries. Our take-home pay net living wage estimates for tea pluckers for December 2015 in the estate sector in Sri Lanka is LKR 19,126 per month and LKR 21,585 gross living wage per month after adding mandatory deductions. Our living wage estimates are much higher than the official poverty line wage for Sri Lanka (LKR 8,236) and the PPP adjusted World Bank extreme poverty line wage (LKR 6,170). Most importantly, our living wage is well above the World Bank poverty line of $3.1 per day wage per month (LKR 10,067). It is clear that both the Sri Lankan official poverty line wage and World Bank poverty lines wages are too low to provide sufficient income to afford a basic living wage. The gross living wage estimate is considerably higher than the current wage given by the existing cash wage salary package of the tea pluckers, which we estimate is equivalent to LKR 16,022 per month. The final prevailing wage after considering in-kind benefits (LKR 16,971) still leaves a monthly wage gap of LKR 4,613 (LKR 185/day) relative to our estimated living wage of LKR 21,585. Finding this difference is not surprising as estate sector workers have traditionally been considered as one of the poorest communities in Sri Lanka, having low living conditions. Even though, there have been significant improvements over the years, the living conditions of the tea estate community are still not up to standard, in spite of recent wage improvements.Item The Sri Lankan Labour Market(2023-07-11) Arunatilake, Nisha; Gunasekera, Neluka; Jayawardena, Priyanka; Madurawala, SunimaleeThis report analyses the labour market trends in Sri Lanka from 2006 onwards. The report finds that the country’s labour force growth is slowing down and soon, it will start to decline. The job growth in the country has not kept up with economic growth. The jobs that were created were mostly low skilled jobs. In order to stay competitive, increase productivity and attract and retain workers, the country needs improve job creation, especially for higher skilled workers, and reduce disparities in the market.Item Value Chain Development in Conflict-Affected Environments: Analysis of the Fisheries Sector in Sri Lanka(2013-09-03) Thibbotuwawa, Manoj; Marawila, Dilhani; Gunawardena, Asha; Samaratunga, Parakrama; Senaratne, Athula; Arunatilake, NishaThe study attempts to address the basic research question of how can value chain analysis and the value chain framework help us identify and understand the major opportunities for upgrading and the driving constraints to market growth of fisheries sector affected by the aforementioned conflicts. This study employs a modification to the standard value chain analysis, in the form of value chain - conflict dimension matrix which enables identifying which stages of the value chain are affected by which dimension of conflict, and how. Further analysis of the opportunities and constraints against various dimensions of conflicts yielded case specific implications of the conflict-value chain interactions.Item What Prevents Equitable Access to Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka?(Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2018) Arunatilake, Nisha; Jayawardena, Priyanka; Abayasekara, AshaniThe project proposes to identify whether free education has resulted in improving access to tertiary education to all. It also proposes to assess how inequalities in access to tertiary education result in inequalities in employment outcomes.Item Why people choose to participate in the informal sector in Sri Lanka?(2013-09-06) Arunatilake, NishaThis study makes use of the Sri Lanka Integrated Survey 1999/2000 (SLIS, 2000) to analyze how individual, household and location specific characteristics determines employment in different sectors. An ‘occupation choice’ model is used to explore the determinants of sector participation.Item Will school level decision making improve access to better education in Sri Lanka?(2013-09-11) Arunatilake, Nisha; Jayawardena, Priyanka; De Silva, RoshaniAchievements in Sri Lanka’s Education sector are praiseworthy, in many respects. However, problems of equity and quality of education are increasingly plaguing the education system in the country. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of one initiative – the Educational Quality Inputs (EQI) Scheme -- that seeks to improving educational inputs at the schools through decentralized decision-making. The study explores the factors that affect the utilization of funds allocated to schools under the EQI scheme and examines how these affect inequity. The study concludes that although the EQI scheme has some equalizing effects, existing discrepancies in the resource availability at the school level lessens the equity outcomes of the EQI scheme. Making funds available does not always result in improving education resources at the school level. Confirming international evidence on other educational decentralization experiences, the study finds that local level capacity to manage funds are important in efficient utilization of funds.