Browsing by Author "Das, A."

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Accessing tertiary education: Rights and realities for students experiencing disabilities
(University of Kelaniya, 2013) Hettiarachchi, S.; Daskon-Attanayake, L.; Das, A.; Jalil, I.; Chanaka, W.; Walisundara, D.; Ranaweera, M.; Rassool, R.
Although the right to higher education is ensured in the Education Acts of Sri Lanka, in practice, the challenges faced by persons with disabilities within the university system questions this assumed prerogative. Anecdotally, the provision of special recording devices has enabled students with particular disabilities such as visual impairment, to better access the curriculum, while others such as those experiencing hearing difficulties or dyslexia may have inadequate support. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to accessing higher education within two universities: the University of Kelaniya and the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. It aims to gather information via individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The data will be analysed qualitatively using key principles of Framework Analysis (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994). The findings will have important implications for policy and practice.
Including all: Perceptions of mainstream teachers on inclusive education in the Western Province of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Hettiarachchi, S.; Das, A.; Ranaweera, M.; Attanayake, L.D.; Walisundara, D.
The changes made to the local constitution (Parliament of Sri Lanka, 1997), the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN, 2005) in 2016 and the first World Report on Disability (WHO, 2011) support a new era for the education of children with disabilities in Sri Lanka. The emphasis of this legislation is the inclusion and full participation of students with disabilities in regular schools. It guarantees non-discrimination and removal of barriers, both physical and psychological or attitudinal; to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools. It urges policy makers, educators, parents and other service providers to consider the premise that special education should be seen not in the context of separate education but as an integral part of regular education. Arguably, the success of implementing a policy of inclusive education requires mainstream school teachers to understand, accept and be competent at supporting students with disabilities within the mainstream classroom context. To uncover perceptions of ‘inclusive education’ among mainstream teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 mainstream teachers from the Western Province using a topic guide. Thematic coding of the interview data was undertaken using the key principles of Framework Analysis (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994). The main themes to emerge were of incongruous conceptual understandings, fear of incompetence, limited training facilities and the lack of incentives. These findings will be discussed with regard to its implications for policy and practice. The results underpin the need to consider local teacher perceptions and to address these concerns within pre-service and in-service training in order to support the establishment of education reforms, which are relevant and sensitive to the cultural needs and cognizant of local realities.
An Interview with the “Queen of Elephants” Prabati Barua
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Gogoi, H.D.; Das, A.
Oil India Limited: Discovery to incumbent
(International Seminar on Assamese Culture & Heritage, 2018) Das, A.
Petroleum industry in Assam is helping folk to maintain their heritage and helping people to connect with modern era. Oil is one of the most important minerals that the world needs today for industrial progress. Assam is the first state in India where oil was discovered in its dense jungles and had set up the first oil refinery in Asia. Assam contributes largely to the economic development of the country. In 1866, Oil Seepage was observed in Digboi during the construction of Dibrugarh-Ledo Railway Line. This discovery came on the heels of industrial development. The first well was completed in 1890 and in 1893 the first refinery started at Margharita, Assam. The Assam Oil Company was established in 1899 to oversee production. In 1901, Digboi Refinery was commissioned supplanting the earlier refinery at Margharita. At its peak during the Second World War the Digboi oil fields were producing 7,000 barrels per day. At the turn of the century, however as the best and most profitable uses for oil issues were being debated, India was seen not as a producer but as a market, most notably fuel oil for cooking. As the potential applications for oil shifted from domestic to industrial and military usage, this was no longer the case and apart from its small domestic production, India was largely ignored in terms of oil diplomacy and even written off by some as hydrocarbon barren. However, British colonial rule laid down much of the country’s infrastructure, most notably the railways. In 1909, IBP was incorporated as the Indo-Burma Petroleum Company Limited in Rangoon and in 1942, the corporate office of the petrochemical company was shifted to Calcutta, India. In 1928, Asiatic Petroleum Company (India) started cooperation with Burmah Oil Company. This alliance led to the formation of Burmah-Shell Oil Storage and Distributing Company of India Limited. Burmah-Shell began its operations with import and marketing of kerosene. On 24th January, 1976, the Burmah Shell was taken over by the Government of India to form Bharat Refineries Limited. On 1st August, 1977, it was renamed as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. At present, two large industries Oil India Ltd and ONGC are playing a crucial role in the production of Oil and Natural Gas.
Perceptions of 'inclusion' and perceived preparedness among school teachers in Sri Lanka
(Elsevier, 2014) Hettiarachchi, S.; Das, A.
This study examined the preparedness of regular and special education teachers in Sri Lanka to teach students with disabilities in an inclusive educational setting. It also explored their perceptions of the term ‘inclusion’ and its applicability to the Sri Lankan context. A total of 75 teachers were surveyed using a two-part questionnaire. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight teachers. The interview data was analyzed using Framework Analysis and the quantitative survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Special education teachers indicated higher perceived competence in working with students with special needs compared to general education teachers. Implications for teacher preparation via pre-service and in-service training are discussed.