Financial Times

Earning capacity should not be the criteria
Drastic and revolutionary changes in education
By Professor J. N. Oleap Fernando
There is much more for students to learn than the Mathematics, Chemistry and Geography that is formally taught in the class-room.

In today’s scenario where students are being exposed to mercenary and other worldly attractions, true education has to inculcate a proper sense of human values and attitudes. Our formal teaching processes must result in the true education of our students to become truthful and humble citizens in a competitive world - a world in which they should take their rightful place free of dishonesty and deceit. Students must be trained to become truly useful and productive citizens of Sri Lanka.

The norms parents and teachers currently apply in the choice of a career are quite often very unscientific, unfair, incorrect, inhuman and unsound. Parents, teachers and elders should ensure that choosing a career is best left in the hands of students themselves to be done much more objectively than is usually the case. We should not, we simply cannot expect all children to follow professions such as Medicine, Commerce or Law either because they have large earning potential or in the alternative, expect children to blindly follow in the professions of parents and elders.

Contrary to the current common practice, the most important factor that should come into play in the choice of a rewarding career by a student is whether the choice represents what the student wishes to do and is capable of doing. We should not advise children to merely do what our close relations or the next door Joneses are doing or are aspiring to do. In this globalised world, parents and teachers should recognize that there are many more worthwhile professions and career options other than the most popular and perceived to be prestigious and/or fashionable courses (such as Medicine, Commerce, Law, Computer Science and Engineering).

For example, the great importance of good students following programmes i n the Humanities and the Social Sciences has not been adequately recognized in Sri Lanka and this has had very unfortunate consequences, especially in the quality of personnel recruited -to Sri Lanka’s public sector.

I do not dispute that an adequate monetary income is very necessary to lead a comfortable life in this largely materialistic society. However, money should not be and cannot be a main consideration in the choice of a rewarding career.

True job satisfaction often comes much more from being satisfied with the work one does rather than the money one earns. The true quality of a successful, rewarding and prosperous life never increases merely with the quantum of money one earns.

My humble advice to all parents, teachers and elders therefore is to encourage students to do what they like and do that well. In the long run, there is no doubt that the students would then be much free from stress and not run the risk of ending up even as nervous wrecks by trying to be unnecessarily greedy for apparently prestigious and/or fashionable careers for mere material gain.

Educational system
In the forties and early fifties, Sri Lanka’s educational system at all levels reached a model status and there was a clear perception that Education and Training provides Knowledge and Knowledge gives one Power.

We had a free educational policy up to the University, a well established central school system which enabled scholars from rural areas to obtain a good education within their home districts. There was wide access to primary and secondary education and a well planned and well funded University that provided a wholesome education.

However we had such a uniformity of free education in swabasha media by the late fifties that the Central ‘Schools had by that time nothing extra to offer unlike in their early years. The take-over of most assisted schools in 1961 in the guise of establishing a national system of education was a very costly mistake and a tragedy which made our school system to become far too regimented, bureaucratic and fully politicized.

The establishment of new private schools was simultaneously prohibited by law under the Education Act; Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world to legally ban the setting up of such schools. Nevertheless, we are all well aware that there now exists well over 200 International Schools, established under the Companies Act as businesses under the Ministry of Trade but outside the control of the Ministry of Education.

Will I therefore be wrong in saying that -we have very funny systems in Sri Lanka? Children of the highest in the land are studying in such international schools. While the international schools are charging fairly high fees, they have been developing to varying extents outside the control of the Sri Lankan educational and political auhorities; however, the vast bulk of Sri Lanka’s primary and secondary state schools have come under increasing influence, of politicians. Since the schools take over, 45 years ago, it is so disheartening, demoralising and sad to note how our politicians have played political football with our educational system.

Politicisation
Consequently, there is no doubt whatsoever that our so called national school system is in an absolute mess which cannot be cleaned by politicians and pseudo-politicians who are supposed to be managing and running the system. Until recently we had the President as Minister of Education and her good friend, a medical doctor, as Ministry Secretary publishing attractive colour advertisements, news reports of what they were doing and repeating like a Manthram that much abused word "Educational Reforms".

I will not be wrong in saying that the school system in Sri Lanka reached the lowest possible level due to such gross politicization. Unfortunately, such politicization has reached an even higher level and extended its dirty tentacles even into the University system: for example the post of Vice-Chancellor has become so debased today that one has to curry favour with politicians in order to be appointed a Vice-Chancellor. When a distinguished Sri Lankan academic, Dr. Indira Samarasekare, was recently appointed as President of Alberta University in Canada, a national Sri Lanka newspaper ran an editorial in which she was congratulated on her appointment The editorial however also went on to say as follows:

"Dr. Samarasekare has been chosen on her own academic merit. But had she applied for a Post of VC in one of our Universities, she would have also needed one more essential qualification: she would have had to be a member of the SLFP, UNP or JVP."

Should not our Vice-Chancellors hang their heads in shame to realize that the posts they hold are so lowly recognized in this country?

When I was a member of the independent Public Service Commission over the past three years, we were compelled to take several steps in order to ensure that National School Principals, who came under our purview and authority, were appointed under an approved scheme of recruitment without political influence.

You would also be aware as to how last year we were able to prevent some national school principals being interdicted by the Ministry Secretary on the basis of politically inspired, motivated and controlled inquiries outside laid down Establishment Code procedures.

It is therefore no surprise- that the highest political authorities from the President downwards are now giving various excuses, procrastinating and clearly contravening the provisions of our constitution by not appointing the Constitutional Council that will then be able to give a new lease of life to the independent Commissions. (such as the Public Service Commission & the Police Commission.) What a funny situation that the Centre for Policy Alternatives has been compelled to seek a Writ of Mandamus from our courts on this matter?

Broadbasing
At the tertiary level, the political authorities have still been unable to broadbase the providers of tertiary education by permitting the establishment of non state sector Universities and similar degree awarding institutions in Sri Lanka.

Over the last ten years, the number of state universities has been increased from 9 to 14 and a fifteenth is now being constructed for Uva. Such unplanned expansion has led to the establishment of what are none other than mushroom universities with few students, inadequate staff and where staff have been appointed are of low quality.

Many countries, including those around us even the South Asian Region, such as in, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, have enhanced their tertiary level enrolments and prospered greatly only by bringing in the non state sector into tertiary education. It is high time that Sri Lankans, took up a more pragmatic view and gave up the dogmatic belief that whatever is provided by the state is automatically more just, equitable and fair.

Though Universities outside the state sector are not yet permitted in Sri Lanka, we nevertheless have the funny situation in which institutions affiliated to foreign universities are providing high cost tertiary education to a few Sri Lankans.

We also have a few parents, with the necessary money and outside contacts, sending their children to universities abroad. The Sri Lankan government does not prevent the provision of unlimited foreign exchange for all such pursuits.
May I make a fervent plea that early steps be taken to depoliticise education both in our schools and in our Universities so as to ensure that Education is correctly managed and planned with a bright vision that will bring relief and solace to many Sri Lankans.

(This is a synopsis of a speech made by Prof Fernando, Senior Professor of Chemistry, Open University of Sri Lanka and Honorary Dean, College of Chemical Sciences at the annual Prize.-Giving of Colombo South International College).

Back to Business