Abstract:
The concept of national reconciliation has become a key concern in post-war Sri
Lanka. The government of Sri Lanka has been trying to build a nation within a
framework of multi-culturalism during and after the war. As a long-term policy, the
education system plays a vital role in building social cohesion. The first report of the
National Education Commission has established the achievement of a functioning
sense of national cohesion, national integrity, and national unity (Report of the NEC,
1992). Nevertheless, the history textbooks in Sri Lanka, containing historical
narratives which shape and mould the historical consciousness of the Sinhala and
Tamil communities, pose a fundamental challenge to the process of national
reconciliation. Much research done overseas (on the history textbooks in Rwanda,
Israel, and so on) has proven how history textbooks can highlight social, cultural, and
ethnic diversity and promote mutual respect and tolerance among different ethnic
groups. This study examines the contribution of history textbooks to reconciliation by
analysing the historical narratives in them. The aim of the study is to develop a
theoretical discussion on the gap between national reconciliation and history
textbooks in Sri Lanka. The research method is mainly qualitative data collection
through library research. A content analysis was used for Sinhala-medium history
textbooks from grade six to grade eleven. The analysis of the textbooks with the use
of the theoretical concepts of historical significance, memorialization, and racial
hierarchy show that the historical narratives in the textbooks are full of omissions.
These textbooks provide Sinhala-centric narratives which have omitted the Tamils
and Muslims in the country. The textbooks are highly ideologised, and they portray
the Sinhala kings as heroes defeating the Tamils. To construct a sober dialogue
between the Sinhalese and Tamils, it is essential to transform narratives based on a
single point of view to alternative views, such as a shared history or joint history.
