Archives

by Professor J. Jinadasa

Late C. W. W. Kannangara in 1947 very rightly introduced the system of free eduction in Sri Lanka. At that time this country was very poor, lacked dwelling houses, roads, basic food and other need. It was hard to find a person who had passed even fifth standard to assign small duties such as organise village folks, find out their needs, level education etc.

It was not possible to recruit teachers to teach even basic reading and writing skills. One may recall that even the village headman had just fifth standard education. Anyone who had passed eighth standard was appointed as monitors in schools, meaning, a kind of teachers. Later, with one year experience they were appointed as teachers. One may recall there are certain number of such teachers living today. Most people could not sign their names, instead they used their thumb mark in documents etc.

Houses were mere thatched mud huts, most people were living with their meagre income generated out of small scale farming, chena cultivation, rearing a few cattles, goats etc. The technology needless to say was at a very low ebb per capita income at that time was. Less than 20 dollars and varied from about Rs. 40 to about Rs. 120 per month.

Some village boys attended temples to study basic language skills. Therefore, there was a huge void in the education sector. Kannangara, unlike present day politicians, thought very rightly with his low level of education and international understanding etc. introduced the free education into the country, amidst huge repulsions from elite class, who had their education in foreign countries. He was right, with his level of education and thinking.

Perhaps he could have modified the just free education in a different fashion so as to suit it for the poorest of the poor, rather than generalising it to the entire population both rich and poor. In general, that system was fine at that time, but what is its situation today.Sri Lanka has improved over the years in all aspects, namely, education, agriculture, industry, health care, social activities, except in politics, where, instead of dedicated politicians who were there at that time, now has a set of selfish, self-oriented, comfort-minded people.

Instead of most mud roads now she has somewhat better metal and tarred cart roads. Mud huts have been replaced by cement floored, brick walled tiled houses. More than 60 per cent of those houses have electricity at least for a few hours of the day. Farming is done mostly using small machinery.

There are very small industries, Sri Lanka at least make her own rubber goods like tyres, tubes, clothes, pots and pans, some chemicals, building material like cement etc. These were imported at that time. Now there are also a large number of garment factories that supply ready made garments to developed countries for them to be very comfortable and for us to be a little comfortable in cash as well. Bullock cart that carried goods to all parts of the country had been replaced by lorries.

Per capita income has gone up to about US$760 from 20-40. More schools have emerged. Family size has shrunk. Thus, it is quite possible for a large fraction of the population to spend for their children's education. In fact it is being done but not on this soil but in foreign soil.

Population has increased, as well as the number of schools paving the way for primary and secondary education to expand. The result of this is that well over 20 per cent of our population in schools, learn to enter the tertiary education, where it is extremely restricted. Children are pouring in for the primary and secondary education, there are government schools, as well as assisted schools, private schools and international schools etc.

These schools are educating millions of children. In other words, there is no restriction on type of education given up - to the secondary level. Unfortunately, the battle starts from there onwards. In any country professionals, technocrats, bureaucrat etc are produced by the higher education or tertiary, university education. Unfortunately, the system here is so unrealistic, unscientific, lopsided that millions of students are stagnating at the end of secondary level of education. A person with a slightest brain could understand that flow of education should be smooth and follow the normal cause of path.

There should not be bottle-necks to enter tertiary education. Any one has the right for education. This is a basic human right. This fact has been denied by the Kannangara system. It is no secret that about 150,000 students try each year to enter the university, unfortunately only well over half the number get the required number of marks to enter, which is about 112,000 and of which only 12,000 are admitted to the universities.

This is an injustice for the so called qualified. Most probably he wanted all needy people to study irrespective of the number of marks scored at a particular examination. This is correct, students develop at different stages in their life. So a person who gets even all Fs at the entry level will do very well at the university, it all depends on the type of training program given.

Thirty years ago anyone with just three passes at the AL exam with a just 25 per cent marks for the fourth subject could enter the medical schools and became very good doctors. In fact they are better doctors and engineers than the present day half baked ones.

Thus it is more than clear that entry level marks has no effect on the final, products, it all depends on the type of teachers and the nature of facilities available etc for the course. What actually had done by our recent politicians is that they have twisted the Kannangara system of education to grant education to a section of the population, that is not what he wanted. He wanted more funds pumped into the education so that all needy can pursue and discipline at the university.

This could be achieved only by pumping more funds for education, at least 4-5 per cent of GDP, eradication of waste, use of funds more, effectively, eradicating lethargy and increasing efficiency, proper utilisation of fixed assets.

More students could be admitted to universities if the human resources are properly managed. Now there is a glut of unwanted idling man power in universities. Until this objective is achieved, students who want to persuade a course of studies leading to a degree will have to seek options, such as foreign education, local paid education etc.

It is unfortunate that no single politician study the menace, which is students are pumped into schools in all directions as I said before, free, private and international streams.

Then they are left high and dry at the end of 13 years of schooling. It is equivalent to a inflating a air tight balloon or tube. At the threshold point it would burst. There should be a way for these children to go, it is a burden on the parents to keep their children idling, further it is a crime to waste human resource, moreover it is a human social problem.

These should be studied very carefully and action taken. It is futile to venerate the concepts of Kannangara System or say prayers in front of his statue. More and more facilities, of all sorts should be made available for the professional education, unfortunately in this country it is lop-sided.

As a result of this lop-sided nature of the education system, a large number of students leave the country. It has been reported a few thousand, even close to a 5,000 leave Sri Lanka for higher education in foreign soil. These students spend trillions of foreign exchange.

It is no secret that about 10-15 students enter Manipay Medical School each year. incidentials. I am aware that this year alone 12 students had entered that university and the total cost is Rs. 102,000,000. Similarly a large number of students are entering other medical schools in India and Russia, where the cost is in the region of 20-4,000,000 per student.

It is also known that a few students enter British Medical Schools each year, the cost there per student is Rs. 11,200,000 per student. Needless to say the number entering Australia, New Zealand etc.

It is necessary to highlight the number of students entering the US for higher studies, it is the highest number, and it is understood that it is well over a thousand a year. Each student is paying as much as 15-26,000 US dollars per year, a cheap university charges as low as US$15,000 a year. It is estimated that about Rs. 510 million in foreign exchange is spent each year for students to study in these countries.

All this could be saved if needy people are allowed to study in this country. Does this violate the free education policy of Kannangara. Definitely not if he lived today he would have contributed or given scholarships for needy people who could not enter universities of Sri Lanka due to their bad policies, unfortunately, he is no more and our present day politicians live a hand to mouth type of life, who are not bothered about suffering students and agonizing parents.

We in Sri Lanka has opened up every thing now - secondary education, health care, industry, power generation, construction. The irony is that there are private hospitals but private medical education is prohibited. What type of administrators, politicians and policies do we have in Sri Lanka.

The reality should be that if free flow of students are allowed at lower levels by way of paid, half paid, or full paid basis, it should be allowed at tertiary level as well without an iron lid at the top of the secondary level, which could blast in the near future, as it is the road to the death trap.

The private tuition menace of this country has spread like a cancer, it only spend money for what could be learnt from schools, but keep the tiny tots in classes morning till late night without time to play or enjoy childhood. It is estimated that between Rs. 3000 in the year three and about 52,000 in the year 12 and 13 are spent per year, which is really unwanted, except in the case of very weak students.

In other words anything between Rs. 68,000 and 240,000 is spent per student from year three to 13. This huge sum of money, if saved could be spent to give children a very good tertiary education in this country in any field of study, if private universities are allowed to function on this soil rather than ridiculing those using the Kannangara phenomina.

The wrong interpretation given to Kannangara education system has thus stagnated the education of this country. Only a handful of students are given the tertiary education where as good all round students are left behind, this is a criminal wastage of young talent of this country, who are eagerly waiting to enter into higher education.Look at India, she also has free education as well as paid education. In medical schools foreigners pay a certain fee and the locals pay a reduced fee.

They are selling their academic abilities to earn foreign exchange and help the world. We Sri Lankans are so short-sighted, selfish and jealous so as to be inside a shell, which is supposed to be a Kannangara system confined only to the tertiary education, without allowing it to open up. In fact the Kannangara system of education is archaic. Now it does not serve any purpose.

If genuine unbiased survey is done, it will show that very high percentage of our population could pay for their tertiary education and those who cannot could be granted scholarships. So that a lot more higher educational institutions could be established. In England the education is also free but all students get receipts for payments to be executed, here only those who could afford pay and others submit the receipts to local authorities who in turn pay the fees, thus a beautiful system of free education operates there.

Ours is an out-dated, unscientific, anti-social system. It venerate the Kannagara system without knowing what is there. It is like calling ourselves Buddhists, who instead of practicing Buddhism, worship, venerate, concrete statues, trees etc. We do not know what compassion, kindness, openness etc. are.Let us open up our education in the name of Kannangara, let us not be short-sighted, give opportunities to all, let us not be afraid of the ballot, or group of people who are jealous of a sector of the population, which is an anti social custom. Do not allow dark clouds to engulf our education.

Allow more and more avenues for the needy, they are our resources after all they are humanbeings. Governments in power should not be afraid of students, who are inexperience and are not the judges of this country. It is the duty of the government to open the education, like any other area, why keep a lid only on the education which is unrealistic lop-sided.

This will be another way to honour Kannagara. Surely he did not want cut off marks, district quotas, Tamil quotas, Colombo quotas or Moneragala quotas. If he was alive today, definitely, he would have restructured the whole system.

Unfortunately he is no more, and there are no such brave people to take such strong decisions now, our present policy makers are afraid of the politicians who are afraid of the vote. In the mean time our education, pandits, both professional and political have closed the gate of higher education for millions.

It is high time that some one with a back bone take a bold decision on this matter and follow at least the foot path of India on the road to higher but not the path to death trap.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager