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"It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated," so said Alec Bourne. This is a truism our educators would do well to bear in mind. Our education system is not entirely blameless either. The answer appears to lie in a system that encourages not rote learning but focuses on both the scholastic and non-scholastic skills of the student.

Dr. S. Karunaratne who is a Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Science at the University of Peradeniya spoke on 'Teaching science and school based assessments in sixth grade classrooms," at a science forum jointly organized by the NSF and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), held recently at the NSF.

She had participated at the annual conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, held in New Orleans, USA, which aimed at bringing together science educators from different countries to share their knowledge and experiences.

Dr. Karunaratne was of the view that the School Based Assessment (SBA) system is the way forward. This system which was implemented in 1998 moves away from an education system based entirely on examinations and takes into account the non-scholastic abilities of the student as well.

As Dr. Karunaratne explained, each student has a different style of learning (with some students relying on visual learning aids, and others preferring auditory learning aids) and the SBA system respects these individual styles of the student. It goes beyond conventional examination based education and places emphasis on the students' social behaviour, leadership qualities, and special skills and talents.

It also encourages more peer discussion and teacher-student dialogue. Dr. Karunaratne pointed out that what is needed is for teachers to identify and assess the different skills of students and prepare a separate portfolio for each student, which could perhaps be relied on by prospective employers, in addition to the educational qualifications of the applicant.

Referring to a study conducted on the teaching of environmental studies (which is an integration of the three former subject areas of science, technology and social studies), Dr. Karunaratne said that a sample of nine schools (from three districts) had been observed to examine if they made proper use of the SBA system.

She pointed out that although the principals and teachers of the schools had participated in the in-service training of the SBA system, the majority of teachers were not implementing the SBA system but resorting to the conventional methods of teaching.

Dr. Karunaratne stated that the study had revealed that non-scholastic abilities of students had not been taken into consideration nor had there been any opportunity for peer discussion. In most instances, the study had revealed that the teachers taught in the form of a lecture which left little room for discussion and questions. She recommended that arrangements be made for zonal monitoring panels to visit schools, check on the progress of students and provide feedbacks to teachers.

Dr. K.S. Weerasekera, Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering of the Open University of Sri Lanka, also made a presentation at the NSF/SLAAS science forum, speaking on "Some concerns about lane discipline: the Sri Lankan experience".

He based his lecture on the report on the 16th Asian Association of Open Universities Annual Conference which was held in Seoul, Korea last year. He stated that the papers presented at the conference highlighted new developments in distance learning concepts and philosophies, globalization and improvements in existing practices. Dr. Weerasekera, who is currently involved in the development of a distance learning course on driver education for Sri Lanka, stated that lane discipline is a vital concern in transport engineering.

He focused on the three-wheeler mode of transport, noting that it is growing in popularity especially in countries in South East Asia. Dr. Weerasekera pointed out that while the growth in the number of three-wheelers had generated self-employment, and though the three-wheeler is a comparatively cheap and quick mode of transport, that it is often unsafe as passenger carrying vehicle and contributes to traffic congestion and lane indiscipline.

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