Sunday Times 2
The great Royal stink: Will the PM intervene?
View(s):- Sri Lanka’s number one public school in deep crisis; old boys union made scapegoat
- Interested parties destroying the reputation of the premier education institute
By Roy Alibhoy
“Aetas Cinaedum Celat Aetas Indicat” (Time conceals the evils – but in the end reveals them)
In the murky world of school admissions, especially to Grade 1, Sri Lanka has a wretched past of graft, greed and bribery, where parents go all the way to commit what is regarded undesirable and repugnant. Numerous media reports in this regard have been directed towards Royal College, the country’s leading boys’ school. We decided to get to the bottom of the much spoken of ‘Stinking Pit of Grade 1 admissions at Royal.’ What we found was mind-boggling and the so-called ‘Royal Stench’ seems to be a well-orchestrated plan to insult, denigrate and destroy the good reputation of the institution by interested parties.
The present quota system for Grade 1, designed by the Education Ministry allows 50 percent intake from children of chief occupants living close to the school, another 25 percent from old boys’ children, 15 percent whose siblings are already in the school, with the balance for children of government servants, education service officers and those who have lived overseas and returned to the country, etc. The contentious category has always been that of the chief occupants because some desperate aspirants resort to all types of skullduggery and trickery to obtain the marks necessary to get their sons admitted. Documents are forged, children are taught to lie at interviews and even political subterfuge is used to show that the applicants reside within the required distance, whereas they don’t. Even the houses close to the school are rented for short periods and redecorated with family photographs and paraphernalia to satisfy school inspectors who could visit to verify whether the applicant actually resides at the given address. Electricity and water bills, electoral voters’ lists, municipal rate bills are manufactured flawlessly for periods going back to five years. Such is the anguish of parents to get their children into leading state schools like Royal, Ananda, Nalanda and Vishaka.
Things may not have worked smoothly for Royal in the past, too, but it has never reached the deplorable depths it attained this year. Accusations have been particularly directed at one stakeholder group, the ‘Old Boys’. Inquiries unearth somewhat of a different story. The admission interview panel includes the principal, a representative of the Royal College Old Boys Union and a member from the School Development Society (SDS), all of whom are directly connected to the school. Naturally, the old boys become the ‘Watch Dog’ in the process. It is not a secret that many interested parties have consistently tried to undermine the role played by the old boys and to have them removed from the process. In 2016, the Education Ministry amended the circular to omit past pupils from the interview panel, but soon reversed the decision due to the public outcry against it. However, never have the detractors gained ground in this puerile attempt than in the admission process of 2017.
In the current admissions to Royal, the Education Ministry has found that 31 applications were with false documents. The Education Minister is on record saying this was the work of an old boy “mafia”. This is laughable because the volunteers who helped on the day of the interview, with no knowledge of the applicants they would be vetting, are now being targeted with accusations of impropriety and complicity.
There are people promoting sentiments against the old boys union, in an attempt to split opinions among its members and also that of the teachers. There are those who align themselves with power groups close to politicians. There is networking within the administrative apparatus of the ministry. Many non-biased teachers who are performing a creditable job of work are being harssed, and most of the longstanding teachers have been transferred out for flimsy reasons. Other teachers are suffering silently because they are not vocal about their grievances. They are frustrated and de-motivated.
Another key player bad-mouthing the school is a former deputy principal now ‘operating’ from another school. A retired master has been brought back to conduct educational development work. Good teachers are being harassed by a few non-performers, while the authorities look the other way.
At a recent meeting with the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, a delegation of senior members of the RCU (the alumni association of Royal) laid bare several “facts” regarding the authorities that run the school so that the Ministry could take corrective measures. The delegation stressed that the RCU, which has always fought against the elements who have “corrupted” the admissions process, will fully support a transparent and impartial investigation. They were steadfast in their view that any person found to be “profiting” from the process should be subjected to the full extent of the law.
While all this is happening at this great institution, the political support it once had from powerful politicians is not the same anymore. Several attempts made by senior old boys and parents to meet with the Prime Minister, who himself is an distinguished old boy, have made no headway. It is a fact that old boys are now opting out of entering their children to Royal due to the prevailing atmosphere and the admissions for 2017 saw a 25 percent drop in the old boys category applications from the previous year. However, one senior old boy said that once the PM is made aware of the miserable affairs now taking place at Royal, he was certain that the PM will take action to rectify the situation and bring normality to Royal.
Royal is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest educational institutions, where generations of eminent men it produced have served this country well. It was just over a year ago, the previous principal of 11+ years was unceremoniously removed, in a swift move, with various allegations levelled against him. While the change was radical, the hope among the Royal community was that this change would bring a fresh breath and a new impetus of clarity and transparency into the administration as promised by the powers that be, but as has now transpired, it has become instead the catalyst for the slow death of the school.
The most recent action of purging of senior staff by the Education Ministry, (as reported in the SundayTimes of February 12) where action was taken to interdict the entire appeal board for Grade 1 admissions. Further, a recent paid advertisement by the Royal College Union exposes the great deal of misinformation levelled against it. Its content is also consistent with our findings from all parties of the Royal Community.