The Education Class system

| by GajalakshmiParamasivam

( September 02, 2012, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Yesterday, we received the ‘Uravu’ (Relationship) magazine from the Tamil Senior Citizens’ Association (NSW) Inc. My husband Param and I are members of the Tamil Senior Citizens’ Association and I appreciate and value that status very much. I admire the work by these leaders who could have stayed at home and enjoyed the physical comforts they are entitled to and are able to afford in their senior years. But by continuing to ‘work’, they have given continuity to the values that the Tamil Community has invested in. On the back page of the Uravu magazine (Editor Mrs. Padma Thangarajah) is a group photo with many seniors from whose leadership our community has gained strength. I personally recognized and said ‘thank you’ in my mind, to Mr. Samy Pasupati; Mr. Shiva Pasupati and Mr. Gananatha because of the motivation I feel whenever they show appreciation for my work and shared their community status with me. To me, that attribute of sharing credit comes with responsibility as a leader. These leaders have developed a structure through which we could recognize each other and motivate younger members of our families to achieve high. Inside the magazine, was recognition for three young Tamils – Miss Yashvini Janakan, Miss Babitha Selvanathan and Mr. Vivek Srinivasan – for their high educational achievements at University level. Two of them are medical students at the University of New South Wales. I felt good at the thought that the value of my fight for Equal Justice at the University of New South Wales – would support these young community relatives of mine.

This morning, I read the Sri Lanka Guardian article ‘Time to tame the crisis’ by Shanie – The article is about ‘Preserving heritage of a sound education system and ending present multiple crises’. In his article, Shanie states ‘There are two apex bodies – the National Education Commission reviewing on an ongoing basis the education system in the country and advising on overall educational policy that needs to be formulated; and the University Grants Commission concerned about coordinating the University system, regulating the broad administration of Universities and ensuring that they maintain academic standards. Unfortunately, both Commissions do not function as they should. The NEC has virtually been sidelined and policy decisions are made by politicians and the bureaucrats in the Ministry without any consultation with the NEC. The UGC which maintained its independence until a few years ago, now merely carries out the directives of politicians, even when they are in total violation of the Universities Act.’

I recalled the email entitled ‘Education in India & Sri Lanka’ from a fellow Australian Tamil about the ‘Class system in Education’ and tried to work out the pattern as per the deterioration highlighted by Shanie:

1. Most 'First Class' students get technical seats, some become Doctors and some Engineers.

2. The 'Second Class' pass, and then get MBA, become Administrators and control the 'First Class'.

3. The 'Third Class' pass, enter politics and Become Ministers and control both

4. Last, but not the least, The 'Failures' join the underworld and control all the above

5. And those who do not attend any school, become Swamis and Gurus and Everyone goes to them.

I asked myself which ‘Class’ I belonged to? I guess I was ‘Second Class’ until 1998 when I joined the University of New South Wales (UNSW) where I ‘lost’ it all and am now a Guru to a small group in Sri Lanka who are my ‘everyone followers as per 5 above’. Many of the Seniors in leadership – mentioned above - continue to confirm those structures at 1 and 2 and motivate young ones at community level.

As for myself, even though I discarded the ‘body’ of my second class achievements, after knowing the Truth about our Academic Administrators through the UNSW, I retained the real value of my work to belong in that second class. Many of those academics are first class in substance but desire to be in second and third classes. My true investment in Administrative class protects me even though I may not consciously invoke the powers of my investment in time of need. That is the beauty of the system of Natural Justice. Once the maximum returnable value of our true investment is a structured system is returned – we need to ‘un-structure’ it and release only the energy to invoke the system of Natural Justice. The reward is the beauty of that system of Natural Justice itself.

Yesterday for example, I read about a young Australian lady who was cheated by a scammer who pretended to be an employer and deposited money into the lady’s account (as per account details provided by her) and asked her to remit the money towards ‘training’. The bank found out that it was part of a scam and alerted the young lady. As per the report ‘Ms Skipper said she felt suspicious about the amount of money on offer, but at the time was "desperate" for a job.’

I got to know about this kind of dealing by responding to an email offering ‘internet’ job. Like the above lady, I was feeling down and out after my UNSW experience. Within me, I felt that I was still ‘owed’ returns from the employment system into which I invested in good faith. Hence I felt that this could be an ‘easy’ job. But due to my genuine investment in structured establishments - I knew early in the process, through my intuition that this was a scam. One cannot feel through the intuition when one is dependent on the structured official system. Hence I had to go into the system without my official protection/armor.

The bank confirmed that is was a scam. The Bank assuming that I was less than them in such issues – tried to bully me into stopping my engagement with them. The bank, due to its own deviations was also doing likewise to its customers. Like the UNSW Administrators who cheated me out of my earned credits they are the white-collar scammers. We lost about $5,000 in the ‘educational process’ but to me when I went down to the roots of my own investment – in was not a loss but an investment in ‘training’ to help other would-be victims – especially in less educated circles and seniors who were still dependent on the official structures. As is my way, I shared my experience with others in my network.

As I shared my experience – I received feedback and a very interesting lesson. Even though I knew these guys were scammers – I did not know how they eventually got their loot. The answer came from someone who had helped a senior Tamil who was about to get cheated. These scammers send bank drafts that are forged and if they pass through the bank system and we draw and remit the money minus a commission – scammers would get the money. But when the Bank finds out ‘after’ we have remitted the money – that the draft is forged - the Bank debits our account with the whole amount of the bank draft!

My genuine investment in the ‘lawful’ system prevented me from withdrawing and sending the money. It helped the bank find out that it was a forged draft. But due to the exchange difference between the dates, we were debited with $5,000 as foreign exchange difference. I wrote to the Ombudsman on the basis that the Bank itself did not follow Due Processes. But they did not use the complaint to educate the public. Had they done that they would have saved other victims, may be the above lady also.

The end of any relationship is Truth. Once we know the Truth and are driven by that Truth – we are safe from the person/s on the other side of that relationship. Others who have faith in us would also be protected by that Truth.

The Sri Lankan education system is still in its old uniform. The substance is weaker and weaker due to emigration of those to whom higher education was a livelihood. That was the case with most Tamil leaders and it is still the case in our Seniors’ groups. JVP and LTTE went straight to Class 3. They therefore represented majority voters who rely on physical powers more than intellectual powers. There are others from class 1 and class 2 who due to their attachment to the past become the medium through which class 3 works. Shanie confirms this by stating ‘Indeed this growing intrusion of the security establishment in schools is a worrying development. There have been reports that some school Principals are to be given military rank and that A/L students are to be given training in military camps. Indeed, apparently the students at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalaya in Homagama have reportedly already had this "training". The University community is already in upheaval about the growing militarization in the campuses. The plan seems to be to extend militarization to schools as well.’

We may well protest against such changes. But as Lord Krishna said ‘What happened happened well’. We invested more in ‘talking’ about our high investment in education than actually practicing the common principles to connect ourselves to other practitioners. To the extent we got our higher education labels to get more money and titles – they gave us those benefits. Those who actually practiced them became Gurus. Those who did not practice them became the media through which Class three worked. Since their glory is through votes their skills need to be attractive to those who use brawn power in preference to brain power. That’s how they attract votes. If we had found a solution to the ethnic problem intellectually – through higher education – we would have prevented the military from entering our schools except when called by the civil administration. If we could not prevent JVP / LTTE / Government Armed Forces from entering our homes at their will – we did not have the power of our education. Why? – because we failed to share our status in Class 1 & 2 with the ordinary people and develop self governance through each completed relationship. Successful Doctor-Patient – relationships would have added strength to our voting system to elevate itself. Likewise all other professions. Instead, we did business with our knowledge and there was not much left to plough back into real education. We reaped as we sowed.

The Senior Administrators at the UNSW robbed me of my earned benefits on merit basis – without even knowing that they were doing so. Had they followed the principles of Equal Opportunity – they would not have erred as they did. It was my faith in Truth / God that helped me find real and lasting value and stopped me from ‘expecting’ from a system whose maximum returnable value to a genuine investor in Research and Education – fell seriously short of its official status. Beyond their maximum level, my investment had to be returned by me. That is the value of ownership which gives us enjoyment from within. We are the service providers and we are the consumers.

The younger generation that grew up in war environment – do not know the difference – until they go outside Sri Lanka which is not a high percentage of University graduates. The older generation which invested in civil administration are the ones who really bore the brunt of this war at the intellectual level. Hats off to those Seniors who have continued to uphold those higher values even though the return is not as attractive as those received by their parallels in mainstream. When we are able to support each other as a community we are already self-governing.