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institutions, to align curricula to the job market. Within this context, for example, academic qualifications in the humanities or liberal arts are seen as being particularly out of step with the current labor market. Several points here need to be considered carefully.
Disparities in Education Research has shown that although Sri Lanka has provided free education, making access to education more equitable, there are inequalities when it comes to the type of education that is accessible. Economic constraints on resource allocation have resulted in a deterioration of the quality of education that has affected schools differentially. For instance, only 26.2 percent of schools provided science education facilities at senior secondary level, while many schools did not have qualified teachers or laboratory facilities (Ministry of Education 2006). At least one study (ADB 2004) has found clear links between socioeconomic background, resource allocation, and school performance, adversely affecting youth from low-income backgrounds who attend poorly resourced schools. Almost a quarter of schools had less than 100 students apiece; these schools are neglected in the allocation of resources and face the threat of closure. School closures in remote areas have especially affected school attendance by girls, who face problems of mobility in areas with poor transport and infrastructure facilities (ADB 2004). As mentioned earlier, only about 2 percent of those eligible for higher education actually seek it. Studies further suggest clear socioeconomic disparities with regard to family and educational background, school attended, and income, as well as gender differences among students who do pursue higher education. A high number of students enroll for liberal arts degrees, not necessarily out of choice but because they lacked opportunities at the secondary level to qualify for entrance in scientific fields. The majority of students who enroll for liberal arts degrees come from low-income, rural, disadvantaged families, where parents are not engaged in professional work, whereas students who are enrolled in science degrees, especially medical, engineering, and veterinary science, come from more privileged backgrounds (Jayaweera and Shanmugam 2002). The number of women entering university has been increasing in recent years, but they seem to be concentrated in particular types of degree courses, such as the arts, law, and biological sciences. For example, in 2002 more than half of the university population was women, who were concentrated in liberal arts and law (Gunawardena 2003). Women graduates also tend to come from slightly more advantaged economic and