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by Ravi Perera

A local classroom - how ‘relevant’ is our education?

Modern technology has revolutionized education so much that today the traditional classroom concept apparently is no longer that relevant or is under pressure to reinvent itself to suit the times. It seems like only the other day when a pocket calculator was considered a high tech marvel. A student now can access much more information sitting in front of his home computer than a teacher can possibly know in a lifetime.

The Internet, CD Roms, DVDs etc have for ever changed the way we acquire knowledge and communicate with each other. We are only at the beginning of a huge technological advance with almost limitless possibilities. New and faster methods of learning are appearing on the counter almost by the day.

One can easily imagine the pressures that these fast moving changes place on the schools and the teachers. Most of present day teachers come from an era when education was equated with learning the three Rs. In the days gone by young students were advised by well meaning adults to learn reading, writing and arithmetic for what was then considered a complete education.

These were quiet times and it did not require multi skills to get by. The youngsters who heeded the advice most times did well in life. Today's demands are quite different. I do not know whether old arithmetic is still in the school curriculum but reading and writing has been fundamentally changed by information technology. We need a lot more than the three Rs to effectively participate in the modern world.

In Sri Lanka, education in a modern sense is unfortunately a luxury available to a limited number in a few Colombo schools. Our country is not rich enough to offer a computer based modern education on an islandwide scale. In fact even in the rich countries not all have equal access to technology. But we, despite great difficulties have continued with an education system, although perhaps outdated, is accessible to all.

But typically, even this basic education system, which is available free of charge is under threat in Sri Lanka. Now the students in many schools here have taken to boycotting classes demanding the removal of the principal or a teacher. In some schools the teachers go on strike demanding the removal of the principal or another teacher. May be before long they will all unite in a strike demanding the removal of the three Rs! Although we have a system of education which is accessible to all, it is appropriate to ask whether it has served the nation well. A system cannot be judged by a few exceptions. The exceptional often do well despite it. We must judge a system from its average products.

A nation's education system and the effectiveness of its workforce are closely related. It is quite evident that our education system has not served the nation well in its efforts to develop and advance. Our productivity per person is low and the quality of our products and services lag behind most other comparable countries. Most of our graduates are often found wanting in skills and application when they join the workforce.

They show little initiative and shy away from new methods and practices. This is often observed in government departments where old systems based on peons and laborious filing still prevail. For example, the Customs and Quarantine form one fills at our airport probably has not changed since the 1960s.It still demands information about the jewellery and other personal items in one's possession without explaining why.

In the modern world every demand for personal information is followed by an explanation and a reference to the law which empowers that demand. None of the responsible officers in this department, who are undoubtedly all products of our education system, is evidently capable of designing an appropriate form that meets the needs of today. This goes for almost all the other departments which are without exception bureaucratic nightmares.

The graduates from our technical colleges have a theory-based knowledge with little ability or inclination to apply it in a practical situation. It is very rarely for instance that one of them will attend to a repair job satisfactorily the first time. Whether it is a repair on a car, computer or bicycle one can never take it for granted that the job is done properly and must always anticipate a second visit. This generally holds good for all areas where technical knowledge is needed.

Many have commented on the sad inability of some of our university products to even write a simple business letter. May be this is the reason why most letters to a department are not even acknowledged! We never find in any of our government departments a pamphlet describing the services available or the procedures to follow.

One wonders about the quality of the papers/submissions on policy, administration or any other issue that are produced in these departments, if they are produced at all.

It is also commonly observed that many of the products of the Sri Lankan education system have poor work ethics and commitment to their job. A lot of our employees pay scant regard to time and become keen clock-watchers only when it is time to go home. A friend who works in the public sector once observed that the only time some of his colleagues become active is when they rush to the attendance register to sign out!

Concepts such as loyalty to the employer, doing an honest day's work, continous updating/improving one's expertise and professional ethics appear to be alien subjects to most workers. Many of them seem to feel that once you acquire a qualification the world owes you a living.

Education and values

One singular failure of our education system is its inability to inculcate values and ideals. It appears that our educationists expected religious education, which is part of the curriculum to do this for them. Unfortunately religious education in our schools is limited to memorizing of stanzas and at a practical level to paying obeisance to elders. Commendable as this may be, at a social level this obviously does not work.

An education to be relevant must inculcate good social ethics. An educated person should be an asset to society and a good citizen. It is said that one of the main reasons for the success of the British Empire was its effective civil service. British civil servants by and large were motivated by certain ideals and a sense of service. One very rarely heard of corruption in the British civil service and could confidently rely on its impartial effectiveness.

Unfortunately, our public administration does not inspire similar confidence. What ideals do the products of our education system bring to the service?

On observation, hardly any. Most public servants have an attitude that his job is at best an irritating necessity to be endured. They go to work not because they want to but because they have to.

Our education system has also failed to inculcate any civic sense in its products. For example, the rude and selfish manner in which our motorists and even pedestrians conduct themselves do not show a developed civic sense. Throwing rubbish around is not even considered a matter to be thought about here. Issues like playing loud music, conducting noisy ceremonies/meetings and smoking/spitting in public, which affect other people, have not apparently reached our intellectual menu yet.

One of the most civilized acts of man is his ability to form a queue. When we observe a pack of hyenas devouring a carcass we appreciate the value of a queue. In the animal kingdom the strong eat first. A queue on the contrary ensures that whoever comes first is also served first. It also brings system and discipline to a process, which eventually benefits all. In Sri Lanka it is commonly observed that no one cares at all about the concept of a queue and will break it without any qualms.

Education and proficiency

Prince Charles once observing an obviously shoddy electrical job had quipped that it was probably the job of an Indian electrician. This comment certainly did not endear him to the large South Asian community in the United Kingdom and the Palace authorities had to subsequently do a fair amount of damage control among this community. Generalisation is often unfair and I have no doubt that there are competent and conscientious electricians among the Indian community in Britain. But it is a fact that there are many who have formed an unfavorable opinion of the competence of the average sub continent worker.

When one looks at the general output of our trained workers one surely cannot be blamed for wondering whether there is more than a grain of truth in the observation of the good Prince. We have time and time again suffered at the hands of incompetent workers to have a complimentary view of them. From the nurse who administers the wrong injection to the mason who builds a crooked wall we are at the mercy of incompetence everyday of our life. Those who have travelled in developed countries or even the East Asian countries will testify to the general high standard of their workmanship. Little Singapore is a shining example of a place where things work and work well.

Does our education impart a drive to excel? Do we take pride in doing a job perfectly? The sad answer of course is no. Most workers here are satisfied as long as there is an appearance of an effort, never mind the quality. The drive to do a perfect job makes the difference between buckram and brocade. It also often is the difference between the developed and underdeveloped countries.

Our education system must inculcate a sense of pride and professionalism in the students. It does not matter what a person does as long as he does it well. But to get the best from a person he must be trained. In the area of technology, more practical experience and awareness of the entire process would be invaluable to an apprentice. The old trial and error method is unacceptable now. In other disciplines, exposure to international standards and a sense of professionalism will help make a better worker.

It is obvious that today we need more than the famous three Rs to have a place in the sun. We need to develop an education system based on values and driven by a desire for excellence. Our schools must produce good citizens who are also competent in their chosen field.

Admittedly, it is very difficult for a poor Third World country to drastically change a poorly performing education system. But in order to escape our underdeveloped status we must change it.

This is the dilemma and the challenge we face in our education today.

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