The 10th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Lecturers Association was held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo over the weekend with the participation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The NPP, who strongly opposed tuition classes, calling tuition culture a racket, presented a completely different stance by saying they will not stop tuition classes if they came to power. Here are the views expressed by various academics about the NPP’s views.
****
We have no intention of jeopardising the teaching profession
– Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of NPP
There are several things that any country should consider when choosing its economic strategy. We have strategies linked to the country’s location, natural resources, coastline, biodiversity, environmental values, Climate Change, climate zones, agriculture and irrigation. Education is top priority in our economic strategy and this is based on shifts in the current world. We believe that education is a powerful force that can heal a country and put it on a path to development. Instead of the linear path in our education today, the country needs educational reforms that can lead to excellence through many roads.
Our opponents say that we will put a stop to private tuition if we come to power. This is not true. There are three forms of education. That is, Government education, private education and foreign education. Especially in our country, there is a big disparity in the school system. But today, a child from a city school and a child from a village school meet in the same hall in a tuition classroom. Your work is very important in eliminating this disparity in our education system. Therefore, I believe that you can play a major role in educating our children. We give you respect and value. We have absolutely no intention of jeopardising your jobs or snubbing your careers.
But we have one policy. It is the Government’s responsibility to educate children and indeed, all citizens. We will not abandon that responsibility. But there are many ways to get an education and all of those ways should be opened to children. We also believe that many other aspects of education should be opened to our children. We believe that you are the great stakeholders in the field of education who can build our broken state.
****
Tuition is now essential for Anura too
– Yalwela Pannasekara Thera, President of the All Ceylon United Teachers Association
We need to further expand C.W.W. Kannangara’s free education. Government funding for free education should be increased. Work should be done to increase the salaries of teachers and principals and the welfare of children. School equipment should be provided at subsidised rates for low-income children. Free education can be carried forward through this. Also, school education should be regulated. Every school should provide equitable education rather than equal opportunities. The syllabus should be taught fairly in every school. Human resources should be provided for that. There should be a common evaluation system for teaching the entire syllabus. Schools should not charge excessive fees. There is no need to go to tutoring classes if learning and teaching are done properly in the school. Parents have to spend a lot of money to send their children to tuition classes. On one hand, some people through the media show that tuition classes are essential.
The President, the Leader of the Opposition as well as Anura Kumara Dissanayake mentioned that this is essential for education. But the only task that is done through tuition is the learning and teaching process. The leaders of the country indirectly ask to go to tuition classes. Even the JVP leader now says that this system should be maintained. Everyone’s goal is to make education an investment.
****
Those in favour of an alternative are now pushing for tuition
– Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Association
Tuition is a major problem in Sri Lankan education. Even when there are enough teachers to teach the school curriculum, the tuition mafia is worth more than Rs. 20 billion. There is a serious doubt whether parents can afford free education. Due to tuition, students have stopped coming to A/L classes.
We discussed this constantly. We looked into the arrangements for bringing students to school. The power of the tuition mafia is so much so that they have people representing them in Parliament. These individuals have formed an elite clique in society.
Education in Sri Lanka is exam-centric. We deviated from a competency-based curriculum due to this examination system. It is this mafia that will not allow this to change. In such a situation, politicians publicly promise that they will not change the tuition system. This mafia has become strong enough to push even those who advocate an alternative. We are of the opinion that there should be no tuition business.
Today’s children have been made to think that if they do not go to tuition, they will fail. Tuition has become a fashion. Therefore, we ask the Minister of Education to get the children back to school. The education system should be overhauled. Tuition conferences and seminars are commonplace now.
****
The JVP now in favour of tuition
– Dr. Athulasiri Samarakoon, General Secretary of the Federation of University Teachers’ Unions
Tuition classes are the reality in today’s society. Due to the competitive examination system, the focus is on success. Advanced Level as well as Ordinary Level has become highly competitive exams. Due to this tutoring is a huge business today. As well as teachers, experts in various subjects have also emerged. Today it is also connected to politics.
This tutoring phenomenon has been created because of the shortcomings of our education as well as the examination system. This problem cannot be solved until the education system is humanised. This is an open market mafia. To create a system that reverses this, they must be humanised. Educational assessments should bring competency-based education along with academic subjects. Major parties work in an environment that benefits them.
All these parents and children are addicted to tuition today. In practice, only politicians cannot oppose this. Even the JVP, which spoke against the tuition system then, is speaking in favour of it today. But what should be done is to increase the quality of education and give it a humanistic face. The Federation of University Teachers’ Unions stands for this.
****
JVP does not have a proper policy
– Priyantha Pathberiya, National Organiser of Samagi Education Services Association and former Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Education
Education should change with respect to the changing educational patterns in the world. Today there is a complete education system. We are discussing a national policy regarding curriculum revision and teacher training. There was an era when the JVP killed principals in this country. In 1977 they tried to grab power with guns.
Sunil Handunnetthi spoke about their liquid economic policy. The slogans that were once said that education is being sold are obsolete today. In the early days they created scapegoats of privatisation. If not for this decline, our country would have progressed like Finland. Anura Kumara’s son is studying in a private university overseas. Their double standard is similar to their stance on the 13th Amendment.
How much money do they spend on education? In relation to tuition, what is said today is not what was said then. We have not proposed to ban tuition. Students look at tuition because there are no co-educational opportunities. This situation must change. JVP did not have a proper policy not only about education but also about the country. These people betrayed the principles. Therefore, they should point out their actual education policies without any double standards.
Translated by Jonathan Frank
