Success in education must not be preserve of the few

The release of the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination results once again marks a moment of celebration for some and disappointment for many others. Of the more than 450,000 students who sat the examination, roughly 73% have qualified to pursue Advanced Level studies. For those students and their families, the results bring relief and renewed ambition.

For decades, Sri Lanka’s education system has been built around a narrow and highly competitive pathway: Ordinary Level, Advanced Level, university admission, and eventually employment. It is a system designed to identify and reward top academic performers. Yet the reality is that only a fraction of those who begin that journey reach the final destination. Even those who reach university level often struggle to secure employment, as their competencies may be largely academic, while lacking many of the other skills required in a modern marketplace.

While hundreds of thousands qualify for A/L studies, only around 40,000 eventually secure places in State universities. Tens of thousands fall away at each stage. Many are left to navigate an uncertain future with limited guidance, insufficient practical skills, and few structured alternatives. This is not a reflection of individual failure. It is a reflection of a system that has long equated success with a single academic route.

Sri Lanka has every reason to be proud of its educational achievements, including high literacy rates, broad access to schooling, and a strong public education tradition. But access alone is no longer enough. Education must prepare young people not only to pass examinations but also to succeed in life.

Students who do not qualify for A/Ls or later miss out on university admission should not feel that their opportunities have ended at the age of 16 or 19. A modern education system must offer multiple pathways to achievement. Vocational education, technical training, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship support, digital skills, creative industries, and professional certification programs must be given equal dignity and visibility.

Even among those who do graduate from university, concerns remain. Employers frequently point to gaps in practical skills, communication abilities, adaptability, and readiness for the modern workplace. Academic achievement alone cannot guarantee success in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing economy.

This is why education reform cannot simply mean changing syllabuses or examination formats. It requires a broader rethink of what schools are expected to produce. Our schools must nurture well-rounded individuals: young people who are confident, creative, disciplined, and adaptable. Sports, cultural engagement, leadership, aesthetics, technology, and community involvement should stand alongside academic learning, not exist at its margins. Education should help students discover their strengths rather than rank them exclusively through examinations.

It is therefore encouraging that the present Government has placed renewed focus on education, with the Prime Minister personally holding the portfolio. This signals a recognition that education reform must remain a national priority. Meaningful implementation must follow.

As the O/L results are absorbed in homes across the country, there will be many students celebrating and many confronting disappointment. Those young people deserve more than encouragement. They deserve alternatives, support, and genuine opportunities to build successful futures.

The country cannot afford an education system that serves only the top few percent while leaving the majority to find their own way. Success should not depend on remaining within one narrow corridor. A stronger education system is one that creates many doors and ensures that every young person has the opportunity to walk through one.