Abstract
A multicultural nation with a population of over 20 million, Sri Lanka’s legacy is largely characterised by its civil war which lasted for 26 years. The conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam, (LTTE), is often simplified to an ethnic conflict between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil populations. While ethno-national politics had a role to play in this conflict, several factors such as a history of colonisation, competing nationalisms, political corruption and discriminatory educational policies have contributed to the violent conflict which ended in a military victory over the LTTE in May 2009, resulting in over 100,000 casualties (United Nations, 2011).
During the civil war (while the GoSL pursued a negotiated settlement to the conflict over a military solution), a civics and citizenship education curriculum was introduced to foster social cohesion and an appreciation for multicultural values. Curriculum reform is common in many nations at war, to adapt the new curriculum to resonate with the nation’s new political direction. However, a decade after the end of the civil war, Sri Lanka still experiences divisions based on identity politics. Given this reality, this thesis examines the role of education in inculcating specific values in students through a systematic analysis of the citizenship education textbooks which was introduced and published during the war.
It is widely agreed that humanities textbooks are not neutral, but are a political tool, and an important teaching source of educational material that has the ability to influence young minds and to promote specific ideologies (Pignel, 2010; Tawil & Harley, 2004; Davies, 2004a; 2004b; van Dijk, 2006). Textbook research related to the portrayal of diversity is a growing field since the 1980s. However, few studies undertake a systematic analysis of curriculum change during a civil war which reflects a change in the political direction of a nation. By investigating the portrayal of diversity and values in the textbooks published during the latter stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war, this study contributes to the growing body of textbook research in fragile states and in divided societies.
The textbooks promote respect for diversity, but they also overlook minority grievances and attempt to foster a unified national identity through promoting patriotism. While these ‘Asian’ values such as respecting authority, collectivism and patriotism are consistent with similar studies conducted in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore (Chou & Ting, 2006; Lo, 2010; Chan, 2006; Cho & Park, 2016), given Sri Lanka’s post-war history, a lack of reflexivity towards historic and current societal injustices may be counter-productive to the aim of cultivating social cohesion.