ROLE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT IN TRANSFORMING EDUCATION AND AGRICULTURE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SRI LANKA

Abstract

It is widely accepted today our education and agriculture systems are outdated and show weaker performance in comparison to countries of the same level of per capita income (4000 USD) or other 6 South Asian countries. Professional education system has been highly monopolized by one or two institutions in every field of profession and only limited numbers of professionals are produced in Sri Lanka. In addition, needless to mention that there is a significantly high dropout ratio in vocational education sector and it is quite often claiming that outdated equipment and technology adopted in that sector. Although more than 25% of people are employed in agriculture sector, only for 7% of contribution was made to gross domestic production of Sri Lanka in 2018. On the other hand, a significant amount of fertilizer, weedicide, pesticides, intermediate products and final products of agriculture have been importing in recent past. Most of the people in agricultural sector suffer due to low value addition, absences of proper postharvest management and marketing system, price distortions in markets, market failures, policy failures and government failures,. Top of that climate change, declining crop production, low prices, low income, and low living standards have contributed many farmers to leave from farming or committed suicide. Today government in every country and world leading institutions are committed to achieve 17 Sustainable development goals by 2030. Having overcome a three-decade domestic conflict, Sri Lanka has begun its transformation towards a sustainable and resilient society. Sri Lanka still faces major challenges and issues in agriculture and education systems due to weak business management techniques adopted. Therefore importance of business management lies at the center of development in education, agriculture and sustainability of Sri Lanka.