The Impact of Increased Cost of Living on Students' Learning

Abstract

Sri Lanka faced its worst period of increased cost of living in 2022. It was a difficult time even to provide basic needs to the general public. There is a scarcity of data regarding the impact on the learning of students from Grade 10 to Grade 13 due to the current increase in the cost of living in Sri Lanka. This research was conducted with the objective of identifying the impacts caused by the current increased cost of living on students studying in Grade 10 to Grade 13 in Tamil medium schools in the plantation area of the Hanguranketha educational zone. In this study, research was conducted on topics including the impact on learning caused by the increased cost of living, nutrition and health, transportation, purchasing of books and learning equipment, energy resources, learning methods, impacts caused by students' socioeconomic factors, and recommendations needed to recover from these impacts. This research is a descriptive survey study covering all Tamil medium schools in Hanguranketha, involving 181 students, 41 parents, 68 teachers, and 8 principals. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and documents, and analyzed using SPSS-21 software. Although the families of most students live below the poverty line and are able to obtain three meals a day, the increased cost of living has impacted the acquisition of nutritious food. The ability to obtain nutritious food shows a direct correlation with family income. Arriving late to school and the difficulty in obtaining school bags, learning equipment, photocopies, smartphones, and internet facilities have emerged as major issues affecting most students. The acquisition of these items and the average monthly expenditure on education show a direct correlation with the monthly family income. Frequent power outages have impacted the learning of most students by reducing study time and causing disruptions in online classes. Most students participated in private education; however, there is no correlation between the amount spent on private education and the monthly family income. This study concludes that the current increased cost of living in Sri Lanka has created a noticeable impact on the learning of students from Grade 10 to Grade 13 in the specified schools, and various measures must be taken at different levels to address this.