Plus

Plus

Why have our schools failed us?
Extracts from the speech made by Dr. (Mrs.) Deepthi Attygalle at the prize-giving of Ladies’ College, Colombo 7, on December 6. During the last 35 years as a Consultant Anaesthesiologist, and teacher of undergraduates and post graduates, I've noticed with much concern and distress, the increasing deterioration in the work ethic, among both students and professionals in Sri Lanka, manifested as a lack of discipline and a lack of objective thinking.

Despite the fact that the medical faculties are supposed to get the cream of the A. levels, I've found, that most of the students are unable to discuss a problem or demonstrate a mind of their own. The ability to take emergency decisions, and justify their actions, which, are so necessary in the practice of medicine, are difficult to develop at the late stage of undergraduate- and post-graduate studies.

This inability to take a considered objective decision, which is not influenced by emotion and personal loyalties, has become a problem not only for doctors, but at all levels of society, for politicians, for professionals, down to the blue collar workers. Why is it that our schools have failed us?

In the present system of education there is a central control of curriculum, objectives, targets and a stress on examinations with extensive syllabuses. The questions in our public examinations do not encourage independent critical thinking.

Memory is what counts. The regurgitation of knowledge, rather than discussion, is what is required to pass examinations. All of which leaves little time or inclination on the part of teachers to develop the child in any other way.

The public judges schools essentially on how many 4As at A. levels or how many 8Ds at O. levels. How many passes at Grade 5 scholarship examinations? How many entrants to the university especially to the medical and engineering faculties? Are these the only criteria by which we should judge school performance? In the words of Albert Einstein, "Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career."

The ideal school must focus on each and every child — on their strengths and on their weaknesses — so that every child may be given the opportunity of developing her potential to a maximum. However, the focus of education in most schools is on obtaining good results in examinations. This is done by concentrating on the brightest and best which accounts for only 10% of the class. How many schools actually worry about the other 90% who have to, more or less, fend for themselves?

Passing examinations helps us to be eligible for a job but to be successful in the job we need much more than that. Self discipline, objective critical thinking, the ability to listen to others and respect their points of view, to communicate with people at all levels without appearing to be superior, to be critical of oneself before criticizing others, to be compassionate, honest and accountable for one's actions, cultivating these qualities should begin at home and school.

We are all aware that it is becoming increasingly difficult to nurture discipline in the children of today, because they feel that discipline limits their independence. Many of them do not appreciate the value of discipline. They do not realize that discipline is the bridge between setting goals and accomplishing them.

Excessive control which insists on order without freedom, and no choices, in other words "you do it because I say so because I know best" is the easy way out, but only leads to indiscipline when the child is free of school and home. The important goal is to develop self discipline and a sense of responsibility in a child, which, she will exercise even when the parent and teacher are not looking over her shoulder. To achieve this, both teachers and parents have to exert firmness, but, with dignity and respect for a child's intelligence, so that the child desires to cooperate.

This type of discipline allows freedom with order where behaviour is always constrained by social responsibility and respect for others. Nurturing self-discipline is not an easy task and requires constant communication and understanding, between child and parent, and constant communication and understanding between child and teacher.
How can a school nurture self-discipline?

Let us take the example of time management. This is one of the important constituents of self-discipline as it is essential for career success and social responsibility. This can be taught from a very young age. Punctuality is an important aspect of time management.

But the parents and teacher must ensure that the child will carry this training into later life, when there are no house points to be lost. The child herself has to realize the importance of punctuality in all her activities, how punctuality ensures respect for others and how punctuality improves her own performance.

Children think that self-discipline is not cool as they say. This is not so. It is simply doing what you're supposed to do, as well as you can when you're supposed to do it. The school and parent have to ensure that the child understands that this axiom must pervade all day-to-day activities be it work, sport, drama or organization of events and in the home.

Our aim should be to produce disciplined workers in varied walks of life, who are innovative and practical with a willingness to learn who are able to think independently and make objective decisions. Such persons are hard to come by in Sri Lanka but are pearls of great price in whatever institution they work in.

It is said, "The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think. Rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load our memory with thoughts of other men."

We have to aim at understanding and thinking rather than memorizing from an early age. In primary school, children should learn not only the 3 Rs reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic but also the T which stands for thinking habits without a hindrance. Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn, and if the doing of it demands thinking, learning naturally results.

The teacher is crucial in developing a child to think and learn. It is not only what you teach, but how you teach, and what you are. A mediocre teacher tells. A good teacher explains. A superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

One of the most important aspects of the thinking and learning process is the need for questioning. Asking a question can clarify a problem, while questioning assumptions and the validity of facts trains people to think objectively. The test of a good teacher is not how many questions she can ask her pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions she inspires them to ask her which she finds it hard to answer.

The British Medical journal recently published an article on the importance of using the words "I don't know" throughout our professional life. What do these words mean?

First it is an expression of humility that we admit that we do not know. Secondly this admission should be respected by others. For rather than being evidence of our ignorance it indicates our willingness to learn. Every act of conscious learning requires us to be willing to swallow our pride and admit that we do not know. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily. As we grow older and feel more important, it becomes more and more difficult to admit that we do not know and therefore more and more difficult to learn.

He who asks a question may feel a fool for five minutes. But he who never asks a question remains a fool forever. I see a great similarity between doctors and teachers. These are both professions which provide a great deal of job satisfaction, but also require a great deal of dedication. Just as the doctor is responsible for saving lives, the teacher plays a pivotal role in developing the character of the student. It is not easy to be a good doctor or a teacher for it involves unrelenting commitment to updating one's skills. For, he who dares teach or treat patients must never cease to learn. We are like mountain climbers. We reach what we think is the summit, only to find more mountains. Before I conclude I would like to share with you a message which specially applies to parents and children of today.

"We tried so hard to make things better for our children by giving them everything we could afford, but we have made them worse.
For my grandchildren, I'd like better:
I'd really like for you to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice-cream, I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed, mow the lawn and wash the dishes.
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are eighteen.
I hope you will fight for something you believe in despite the consequences.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger sister. And it's alright if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when she wants to crawl under the covers with you, let her.

If you want a catapult, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig the ground, plant trees and read books.
When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a ball through your neighbour's window, I hope when you talk back to your mother, that you learn what soap tastes like.

If a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandparents.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays!
These things I wish for you: Tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it is the only way to appreciate life.”

Back to Plus