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Lankan education experience, a mistake - Choksy

by Ravi Ladduwahetty

The Sri Lankan experience shows that primary and secondary education directed towards academic knowledge alone was a mistake, Finance Minister K.N. Choksy told the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' parley in London on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Choksy said:" The Sri Lankan experience shows that primary and secondary education directed towards academic knowledge alone is a mistake. It results in all youth clamouring for white collar employment.

However, in our region of the world, there is scope for self employment in areas such as agriculture, cottage industries, the construction industry, and basic engineering."

The Minister addressed the symposium on a special invitation extended by the British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Gordon Brown on the theme:" Achieving Universal Primary Education in the Commonwealth."

The forum held at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II. The symposium was co-chaired by World Bank President James Wolfensohn and Governor of the Bank of England Sir David George.

Choksy said: "Sri Lanka is shifting its emphasis towards job oriented education, especially in the rural areas. Curricula are being adjusted and made more technically oriented. Vocational Training Institutes are being established on a decentralised basis in the rural areas.

Youth are being trained in a vocation of their choice and given a basic background in efficient management of small industries, IT based training is also imparted at these institutions."

Commenting on the development of the English Language, he said the country was moving towards greater emphasis of teaching English as a remedy to ills affecting the education system. The World Bank and the Government of the United Kingdom has been much helpful to us by providing technical assistance," he said.

He said:" The third major problem that we face flows by the fact that education is not an end by itself. Educated youth expect sustainable employment at the end of their education.

As one increases the available labour market through education, so must all the means of employment increase correspondingly.

The inability of the state and private sectors to provide the additional employment demanded from the production of more educated youth resulted in two very serious armed youth uprisings in protest which Sri Lanka experienced first in 1971 and more acutely in 1988/1989.

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