The Role of Religious Textbooks in Sri Lankan Schools in Promoting Social Relationship

Sri Lanka is a multicultural country composed of the societies such as Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Catholics and Christians. It is seen that the contemporary society diverges from the footing of social reconciliation due to the responsiveness to violence, disparity, and economic inequity and affected by the disparity in region and ethnicity. This concept of reconciliation should be educated among individuals, families, and society. The hypothesis of this study is that if this concept of reconciliation is sowed during the childhood, the future of Sri Lanka is prosperous. The objective of this study is to assess and analyse the concept of reconciliation defined in the religious text of Grade 10 and recommend the strategies and suggestions to build up the ethnic coherence. The data used in this data are collected from the primary and secondary sources. It is found in this study that there is an exclusive unit seen in the textbook of Buddhist religion. The ethnic reconciliation is sowed directly and indirectly in five places and three places respectively in the textbook. In the textbook of Hinduism religion, the concept of ethnic reconciliation is seen indirectly in the three places. It is seen straightforwardly and indirectly in the three places and in the four places respectively in the textbook of Islamic religion. In the textbook of Christianity, the concept of ethnic reconciliation is stated directly and indirectly in the three places and in the two places respectively. In the textbook of Catholic religion, the ethnic reconciliation is stated directly and indirectly in one place and in the three places respectively. In addition, it is found that it indicates the insufficiency of the concept of ethnic reconciliation in the textbooks of the religion. It is recommended to design an exclusive subject for the ethnic reconciliation in the school textbooks and suggest educational tours in the schools motivating the ethnic reconciliation.