Sri Lanka: Use of English as language of instruction in the northern and eastern provinces
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA8616 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Use of English as language of instruction in the northern and eastern provinces, 1 May 1991, LKA8616, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab224c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
After independence in 1948, English continued to be the official language of Sri Lanka. Although it lost its official status with the introduction, in 1956, of the Sinhalese Only Act, it is still the lingua franca and the second language in all schools on the island (Kurian 1987, 1813; Rajanayagam 1988, 44). As for Tamil, its use is permitted in northern and eastern provinces where Tamils predominate, but since the Act, Sinhalese is the sole official language (Kurian 1987, 1813).
James Lindholm, former professor of Tamil, told the IRBDC in a telephone interview that, according to a Sri Lankan Tamil school teacher now living in the United Sates, Tamil is the language of instruction (Tamil for Tamil-speaking students, Sinhala for Sinhala-speaking students) in the northeastern province of Sri Lanka and English is taught as a second language in both state and private schools (Lindholm 15 May 1991).
This information was corroborated by Anton Phillip, member of the Human Rights Institute and Sri Lanka Resource Project in Norway, during an interview with the IRBDC on 17 May 1991.
Mr. Phillip added that, to his knowledge, there were no schools where English is the language of instruction in the northeastern part of the island.
Bibliography:
Lindholm, James, former professor of Tamil, Illinois. 15 May 1991. Telephone interview.
Phillip, Anton, Human Rights Institute and Sri Lanka Resource Project, Norway. 17 May 1991. Mr. Phillip was visiting the IRBDC headquarters in Ottawa from 10 to 17 May 1991.
Attached Documents:
Dagmar Hellmann Rajanayagam. June 1988. "The Tamil Movement in Jaffna and in India - A Comparative Study" in Journal of Tamil Studies. Vol. 33.
George Thomas Kurian, ed. 1987. Encyclopedia of the Third World. 3rd ed. Vol. III.