This book identifies the problems confronting formal education in a disadvantaged rural area of Sri Lanka. The book is organized in three parts. Part One provides the frame of reference and general background for the research. The first chapter outlines the existing theories on the role of education in developing countries and presents the standpoint taken for this study. The second chapter offers an overview of education in Sri Lanka today and in the past. Chapter 3 is a descriptive sketch of Moneragala District, which was the location of the research. Chapter 4 specifies research questions and the methods for gathering field data. Part Two contains three chapters reporting the empirical findings of the fieldwork components. These chapters present: (1) an extensive case study in one village, giving data from interviews with parents and teachers as well as recounting incidents and observations made by the author while living and teaching among the villagers; (2) six comparative case studies on education in six Moneragala villages; and (3) results of a survey involving visits and interviews with principals at 30 randomly selected village schools. In Part Three, two concluding chapters respectively, assess the results of the major empirical components of the study, offer a comparative literature research of fieldwork studies conducted elsewhere in developing countries. Appendices list interview questions and tabulate responses to major questions. The book contains a glossary of Sinhala words, a glossary of "Sri Lankan English" words, a table of abbreviations and acronyms, a bibliography of approximately 200 citations, and indices of authors and subjects. (KS)