Abstract:
Literacy is a very important criterion in measuring the intelligence of a person or the
population of the country' Temporal changes in literacy could be identified in the
world in Sri Lanka as well' The main objective of this Research is to ascertain the
factors that influence on the spatial changes taking place in literacy.
Aruppala Grama Niladhari Division of Gangawatakorale Divisional Secretaries at
Division in Kandy" District was selected as the sample with a higher level of literacy
and Gomaraya Grama Niladhari Division of Panvila Divisional Secretaries at Division
was selected as the sample with a lower level of literacy for this study. Forty families
from both areas were selected as sample at 20 families from each G.N. Division and
data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. 40 families were selected
as random samples and the collected data were analyzed through the detailed analytic
system. It could be identified from the findings of the study that severe spatial
discrepancies exist in the course of illiteracy. It also could be identified from the
results of the study that mainly social, economic, political and environmental factors
have contributed to the positions of a higher level and lower level of literacy in the
two different sample areas of the study. Among their ,factors such as poverty ,low
level income and unemployment could be identified that had influenced in the
course leading to lake of literacy .Further ,the other social drawbacks namely lake of
fundamental education , illiteracy of parents , children not being referred for
education and due to deleterious environmental conditions also have contributed
towards the above unfortunate situations. Other factors that had to such a situation
where the political riots during 1988/89 inadequacy of teaching staff and lake of
infrastructure facilities.
On the other hand, the factors that have contributed towards the higher level of
literacy are, higher state of economy, proper educational facilities, encouragement by
parents, proper infrastructure facilities. Satisfactory conditions of teaching in schools,
increase of educational institutes etc. According to the above conditions, it could be
concluded that increase of provisions for educations , development of infrastructure
facilities, improvement of living conditions of people are very important for the
development of literacy in rural areas.
