Reconciliation or the Reproduction of the Status Quo? Teacher Experiences from Postwar Sri Lanka

Abstract

Set against larger processes of reconciliation and peace building taking place at the end of one of the longest civil wars in recent times, this paper examines the nexus between teacher education and postwar reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Drawing on data generated from an ethnographic case study carried out in three teacher preparation programmes, including a programme located in war affected Northern Sri Lanka, the paper aims to better understand the impact reconciliations initiatives in education. It aims to do so by examining the often overlooked experiences of teachers who are being prepared to teach in schools that have emerged out of war. The insights of teachers are critical as the impact of any reconciliation initiative lies in the preparedness of teachers to be active agents of change. The paper argues for the need for transformative approaches teacher education that recognizes the centrality of teachers as change agents.