Welcome paradigm shift in education

THE Lankan State's decision to recognise the services rendered to local education by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga could be considered a highly inspirational moment in the post-independence history of this country.

To begin with, the State has accorded recognition to President Kumaratunga's unflagging efforts to upgrade and energise local education to meet contemporary needs.

Second, through this memorable gesture, the State emphatically underscores the importance of education and the close bearing it has on human development in all its dimensions.

It could be pointed out that education has always been a priority of the State and that this is amply borne out by the continuing public school system with its defining feature of a "free education."

True, but over the past two decades or more the rapid commercialisation of most public spheres has tended to undervalue public school education in particular and has considerably blunted the appeal of a liberal education.

By a liberal education we mean a finely balanced school curriculum that attaches equal importance to all branches of knowledge including the Humanities and what are termed aesthetic subjects.

In the public mind education continues to be valued but in tandem with the sweeping commercialization of society, what has come to be prized in the educational process is the fostering of commercial skills and those disciplines which would contribute towards the individual material prosperity of the learners.

There is no doubt that education at all its levels - primary, secondary and higher - should be geared to meet national needs including those of a material nature, but education should aim at also being broad-based and comprehensive, to enable it to cater to the totality of our needs, including those of a spiritual and emotional kind.

Here is where President Kumaratunga's conceptualisation of education and its accompanying reforms proved an ambitious project which was off the beaten track.

Her educational paradigm could be said to have aimed at developing the total man and by recognizing her services to education, the Lankan State has, in turn, endorsed a broad-based education with a set of higher purposes, which includes but transcends the utilitarian bent in education which came with the rapid commercialisation of local society.

This is education with a noble purpose and not one which is merely content with keeping the public school system going with its emphasis an quantity rather than quality. Credit is due to President Kumaratunga for bringing these less-emphasized dimensions into local education and we hope the President's educational reforms process would continue.

Besides aiming at modernising the local educational environment, the reforms under the President sought to put the student at the centre of the educational process which was rendered more activity-based.

Besides, human, values, peace and social cohesion are today taking centre stage in education. These are refreshing winds of change which need to be warmly welcomed.

SLTB re-born

THE revival of the Sri Lanka Transport Board could not have come at a more opportune time. Battered by the near-monopolistic private bus empire, commuters across the island will breathe a sigh of relief now that the SLTB has been born again.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who is also the Transport Minister, and her deputy Lasantha Alagiyawanna deserve the commuters' plaudits for the brave decision to re-establish the SLTB.

Praise is also due to the Opposition for fully supporting the Government's move to get the SLTB back on the road. In fact, apart from one party which withdrew support on a procedural technicality, all other parties represented in Parliament voted unanimously for the SLTB legislation.

It is no secret that in its present form, the State-run transport service is bedeviled by a host of problems including an excess cadre, lack of buses and shoddy management. Hopefully, these problems will be addressed in the coming months as the SLTB becomes a full-fledged Government transport service.

Minister Alagiyawanna has already revealed plans to purchase 2,000 buses to the SLTB fleet, in addition to repairing more than 1,500 buses now idling at depots for lack of spare parts. The addition of these buses will enable the SLTB to compete up to some extent with the private bus operators.

Given a choice, there is no doubt as to which service the commuters will prefer. A SLTB bus seems like heaven to commuters used to private bus hell. Reckless drivers and uncouth conductors of private buses make even short journeys interminably miserable for passengers.

On the other hand, CTB conductors and drivers are well trained and disciplined. Tickets are promptly issued and change given. Passengers are addressed courteously.

The re-birth of the SLTB augurs well for the vital transport sector. Private buses will no longer own the roads and commuters can rest assured that any private bus strike will not be the big show that it once used to be.