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by S. Thambyrajah
(May 07,Colombo , Sri Lanka Guardian) There has been considerable criticism of the present education system. The deterioration in the education system is symbolised by (1) Private tuition, which has reached major proportions (2) Expensive presents given to teachers on various occasions by students (3) The ‘Donations’ given for admission of children to a school. (4) The frequent closure of Universities due to undergraduate indiscipline ending in violence (5) Ragging of new recruits, by the older students.
With the passage of the Sinhala only Act, there was considerable lowering of standards in the whole country, which followed the abandoning the English Language. Youths were totally deprived the expansion of knowledge which English can give.
Going further the reading habit among students was completely lost. Apart from the older generation, very few among the young know about the events in this country, such as those written by local writers, such as Alles and Thalgodapitiya. The Bandaranaike Assassination Case by Alles gives an insight into the abuse, misuse and staining of the robe - the venerated symbol of Ahimsa. It also gives the track record of some persons who In later years received encomiums as well as national honours. Thalgodapitiya’s writings include cases to show how the Ceylon Police, a pride at that time, solved murders and mysteries.
Shri Jawaharalal Nehru, Prime Minister of India visted Ceylon from October 13 to 16, 1962. The Department of Broadcasting and Information published a 40 page booklet containing addresses given by him. This was sold at Rs 10/-, a princely sum at that time. I quote a few lines from this publication:
"... I have seen the difficulties that arise in our own country as a result of people trying to apply techniques of other countries. For example, I have found that people, who have gone abroad, take quite a lot of time to adjust themselves to conditions in India, when they come back... So after much experience, we have come to the conclusion that while learning everything from outside as far as we can, we have to think of applying that knowledge to existing conditions in India in the way we consider best. We have to draw up our economics having learnt from others, keeping in view the objective of serving the common man in India, the generally poverty stricken people, rather then a select few".
"… If you want to copy something from our own problems during the last 17 years of independence, well, I hope you will learn from us and adapt it to your own use. Do not blindly copy from any country".
The pre-Independence system of education, the subjects etc prepared the student well to be useful citizens. All that is necessary is to adopt that system, subject to the change of languages, without experimenting and using the younger generation as guinea pigs.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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