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• Plea of a mother of an employable disabled daughter

• Your cricket heroes

• On-line lottery

• Educational system, the life-blood of the country

• Legitimising illegitimacy - discharge for Army deserters

Plea of a mother of an employable disabled daughter

My daughter, a qualified accountant, 30 years married with one child sustained severe injuries in an unfortunate car accident four years ago when the car went off the road. While she was recovered and her mental facilities are perfect, there is a slight disfigurement of face despite extensive plastic surgery and she has to use a walker to get about.

While she can perform accounting and allied duties without any impediment no employer is ready to offer her any employment. Since she was on part time employment because she was nursing her infant daughter after the accident her services were subtly terminated.

Since recovering she has attended over 30 interviews without success. While applying for a vacancy she makes it a point to state that she is after an accident and with a slight disability, while assuring that it will not in any way be an impediment and will not impede the performance of her duties. However, when she appears for a selection interview she is discriminated only on the grounds of her slight disability from the moment she walks in for the interview she knows that there is no hope.

My daughter has virtually lost faith in humanity. The indifference lack of empathy and the callous attitude of some persons who have interviewed her has shattered her morale. Some Chief Executive officers and human resources managers have openly told her that in her present state she cannot be considered and in some instances not even offered her a seat.

This callous attitude by human resources managers in particular has been deplorable as at one particular interview when my daughter painstakingly explained her present disability will not affect the performance of her normal duties the interviewer asked her "what about your domestic work? Does it affect your sex life" my daughter walked away in utter disgust. I must state explicitly that this letter is not intended to obtain employment for my daughter on sympathetic grounds but to make the readers aware of the trials and tribulations of the employable disabled.

I am certain that many other disabled persons may have experienced the type of frustration and humiliation in seeking employment.

Despite the assurances of the Minister of Labour regrettably no tangible action has been taken to help the disabled to obtain employment. Except for the employer's federation of Sri Lanka. Which I am aware has been continuously trying to impress upon its members of the obligation to help the disabled, the Sri Lanka Institute of Personnel Management and the various Chambers of Trade, Commerce etc. have failed to do anything. In fact the Sri Lanka Institute of Personnel Management has totally ignored this problem.

While I sought the advice and assistance of the Institute, it was totally indifferent and failed to understand the seriousness of the problem. On behalf of the numerous other disabled but employable persons who like my daughter may be struggling to secure some gainful employment. I appeal to the Government and the NGOs to initiate some meaningful action.

The "Institute of Personnel Management" should take up the matter of discrimination on grounds of disability, in all seriousness and educate its members and create awareness among them as to the rights of the disabled and the need to treat them humanly. As the disabled of today needs "chance than charity".

At present these unfortunate persons may be asking themselves "where are the equal opportunities that is so much spoken about? Why is this callous attitude? Apart from depriving us of employment, why are we humiliated and embarrassed?

SMF, 
Colombo

Your cricket heroes

May I take this opportunity to congratulate the entire staff of the Sri Lankan Cricket team for the outstanding performance in the World Cup. So they didn't win, but they are the gentlemen of cricket in the traditional way by the example of their sportsmanship and the way they conduct themselves on the field.

I never ever saw one of them mouth a swear word nor show any sign of bad behaviour such as we see from the Australian team every time they play a game, they are the most foul mouthed bunch I have ever had the misfortune to watch on the telly, I have no doubt they will finish as champions, so they should, they play almost continuously all the year round.

I wish the Australian Cricket Board would declare how many million dollars are spent on the team each year, it would make your eyes pop. When you consider the effort made by your team I would say that they are the real Giants of cricket and are a perfect example for any youngster to follow, if I were the Queen I would give them all a Knight Hood.

B. Atkinson, 
Adelaide, South Australia

On-line lottery

Lottery is quite alien to all four religions in Sri Lanka - it is nothing but false expectations and earnings by means of deceiving the poor. As it is, our country is full of lotus-eaters.

Thanks to many of our policies, like holidays extending to 1/3 rd of the year, wives sent abroad for earning while husbands sit at home and waste money, and churning out graduates without making arrangements to employ them. Lottery is nothing but a falsely respected form of gambling.

We motivate, encourage and persuade people to believe in earning without having to work.

It's a manner of collecting money from thousand of poor to make one man rich. The fact that some scholarships come out of it, does not justify this any better. If only someone initiates a project to motivate the rich to contribute to scholarships legitimately, it will be a "piece of cake" to collect the money needed.

All what we are doing here is to dull the guilty feeling of the "gamblers" to pacify themselves that their money is going for a good cause even if they don't win.

If anyone wants to contribute to scholarships, let them do so willingly, with the correct intention; if not, let them not gamble.

Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, 
Dehiwela

Educational system, the life-blood of the country

The Minister of Education, Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku was reported in a Newspaper to have said that there are 11 Educational Zones in the Western Province of which 8 have unqualified directors. Besides 755 of the principals are also unqualified.

This is extremely alarming news indeed, to say the least. One would not be wrong to suggest that more than 75% of the teachers are also not competent. This would be true of other provinces too!

Add to this the very many disturbing incidence of indiscipline and acts of violence that have taken place in schools.

Alarm bells should continue to ring and that very loud. The report referred to herein, did occupy only a three inch by three inch slot and that on page 4, where as it should have been screaming headline news on the front page. It is no wonder that private tutories are full and overflowing, and it is a fact that there are many in existence.

An Independent Commission for Education with legislative powers equal to or more than that of the other Independent Commissions set up for Elections, Police etc. is an immediate and urgent need.

Members of the Independent Commission should be persons of high standing in society, have academic achievements with high principles of commitment and morality. Task forces of similar calibre of people in the various districts may have to be appointed.

Politics should be totally banned in the educational system, especially in schools and universities.

A detailed survey of all sectors of educational systems may have to begin without any delay. Urgent assistance of UNESCO may have to be sought.

Educational system is the life-blood of the country and should be continuously kept in prime focus until the existing grave situation is fully remedied and even thereafter. Teaching is not just any employment, for income only.

Genuine teachers unlike other professionals, belong to a noble breed of highly disciplined, responsible, conscientious people of high principles of morality and dedication. That is the most urgent need.

Drastic situations require drastic action, to save our children, their future and the future of the nation.

Unsuitable staff must be removed forthwith. Services of unqualified employees in the educational system, may be discontinued with immediate effect.

Those with academic qualifications but not suitable for teaching may be considered for immediate retirement, or deployment to some other field if, successful in relevant aptitude test.

Teaching should attract the best available with qualities describing "genuine teachers" in a previous paragraph.

Such "genuine teachers" should be placed on a high scale comparable with professions that attract them with higher emoluments. Selections must be strictly on the basis of very stringent adherence to academic relevance, high principles of morality, dedication etc.

This cannot be achieved overnight, but there has to be a start. It may be possible to set up one such school in each district, and thereafter upgrade the other schools around it. The school children are missing out on leisure, having to attend private tutories after school hours and on weekends.

They are unable to spend beneficial and quality time at home and in sports activities. It also exposes our children to fall prey to undesirable forces.

The news reports that school children have regularly been witnessing the proceedings in the Parliament, even the ones where most deplorable scenes have been reported.

These and similar socially unacceptable behaviour of the elders, have set very bad examples, to our children. "Do as I say but don't do as I do", will not work. The whole society need to Stop and think as to where we are heading, and change directions with sincerity of purpose.

S. J. R. NILES, 
Colombo 4.

Legitimising illegitimacy - discharge for Army deserters

As an old soldier I am astounded by the news item that the Army and the Government have decided to grant discharges to Army deserters, some 58,000 of them, and legitimise their discharge from the Service.

One wonders what the logic behind this thinking is. These are people who, on their own free will and volition, joined the Army to "serve the country". They were fully aware of the conditions and the rules and regulations of the Service.

Instead of conforming to the regulations, they deserted for their convenience. The Army and the Ministry of Defence, failing over the years to implement the rules for their arrest, now resort to the simple expedient of discharging them from the Service, once again contravening the law for dealing with deserters. One wonders whether the Ministry of Defence has given due consideration, in-depth, to this matter before making this decision.

Undoubtedly, the simplest thing to do is to discharge the deserters and get over the headache. But, what about the long-term implications for discipline in the services and the country as a whole?

Will desertion cease to be an offence in the armed services in the future? Will other offenders-murderers, rapists, arsonists, gang robbers, etc, - all be similarly given honourable discharges and be free to carry on their activities?

One wonders whether the Ministry of Defence has given this matter the serious consideration it deserves? Or is it a case of the least line of resistance?

One thing is certain - Sri Lanka will hold an un-enviable and unique international record - the only country in the world to honourably discharge 58,000 deserters and grant legitimacy to 58,000 cowards who, shamelessly deserted the Army whilst on active service - while fighting a war! Greater cowardice knows no man this!

The Defence Ministry should not take the easy course of action and wash its hands off this problem by agreeing to this disgraceful recommendation - by whosoever it may be - for convenience. Think of the implications for the Army and the Armed Services in the future. Think of the discipline and the law and order situation of the country and the implications for the country in the future.

C.O.S., 
Colombo 3.

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