Archives

by George Mendis

When we heard through the press during the previous decade on the closure of more than thousand Small Schools, and silent measures to reduce and close more by non-appointment of permanent Head Masters and teachers we have to shout loud that there has been a reversal of UN Conventions on Human Rights and also basic rights of children. The story is sad to tell in the remote poor village areas in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Moneragala, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Delft and in other such remote villages having many a village / small school 'out of sight' and 'out of mind'.

One might ask the question, Did the officials of the past, especially those with authority and who were holding the whip hand then also neglect to remedy the sorry plight of these schools? Since the cap suits me also permit me to state our case in defence.

What was seen and planned - In 1976 on the feedback from an islandwide survey and detailed case studies of the schools, in collaboration with the school inspectors and through samples of interested small school. Teachers/H.MM, 2500 small schools with a pupil enrolment of less than 101 children were identified. A special project to rehabilitate and develop these 2,500 schools termed the SSDP (Small Schools Development Project) was initiated - (the writer can certify as the OIC/DDG then of the Schools Organisation/Management System). Fortunately the various members of the special sub-committees in the ministry and regional offices then had long experience in the field in close contact with these schools.

The special survey and random sample case studies done through the SSDP units in the districts/education circuits brought to light the shortcomings and reasons for:

i. poor enrolment/attendance of the children, ii. ignorance of the purpose of education and disinterestedness of the parents, iii. dislikes of the teachers to work in distant areas without facilities, iv. poor management by head masters, v. lack of supervision and neglect by Education Officers in the regions and also vi. insufficient budgetary provision for such schools in village areas, etc. - (per capita expenses on a rural child for education may have amounted to less than 20 per cent of the money spent on a similar child in a developed city school).

We set to work in collaboration with the Circuit Education Officers and Head Masters. A tentative short-term program was drawn up, respecting the indigenous culture and integrating where possible the ancient educational principles on total education of the child/learner - the 'Guru-Gola' pedagogy, with modern technology.

Our action plan then was in short to build up some model pilot small schools say in remote deficit areas, with smart Head Masters and develop a training ground in the new SSDP philosophy, ii. to extend to the greater Small School system the successful practices (that were in fact few in the infancy of SSDP), iii. conduct training workshops for headmasters on organisation and management of Small Schools in deprived circumstances, iv. motivating and training teachers in Small Schools say with children irregular in absence, lacking in school material, parental non-cooperation and in multi-grade teaching and v. convincing by personal intervention and getting the opinion leaders and parents / mothers in particular in evening/night care-free well-planned discussions on uses of education and the school on child and also community development.

We stressed, in a very free way, yet systematically worked out our objectives - for example: i. to attract at least 90 per cent of the children and give incentives make them happy in school, may be in sports, aesthetics etc in non-formal education, practical works in crafts, home-gardening etc and informally deliver some amount of simple mind-set training and discipline stay long in school, at least up to the lower primary level, ii. work out strategies to get the early school-leavers/drop-outs to come back to school and arrange times/intervals not disturbing the classroom work for them to continue their income producing work in the fields etc., iii. motivate Head Masters to meet opinion leaders at community centres / the temple etc and informally explain the 'why and how' of schooling. A few meetings in the evenings / nights along with an external educator officer etc. was also in the agenda in our work out plans given to schools, iv. to use the school infrastructure under the leadership of the HM in conducting community education and development works together with other government agencies etc. etc... At a special seminar organised in 1976 by UNICEF on community development we used the occasion to present a special paper on SSDP. UNICEF by actual visits to schools noted that the program was favourable and agreed to support our special project. Funds and equipment were donated for teacher-support in teaching/learning in deprived schools etc, UNESCO, Paris also centred a special interest on the small-school action program.

Our initiative/strategy: Action in the main were get the children to school, mobilise the support of parents and train head-masters in management/organisation of schools in remote/deficit areas lacking facilities give a lead to teachers in facilitating learning by children in/out of school in poor out of the way areas.

I am proud to state that UNICEF then, gave immense support to work out the practical program mentioned in providing funds and other resources to train teachers, officials and parents in school/community development.

The short-term strategy we adopted since 1976 through the SSDP was to deliver primary education - attracting all the 5-12 year to the school in play an in-education, making learning pleasant in study/play in the classrooms and play ground using non-formal system prevention of drop-outs / absenteeism / stagnation / motivating the parents, especially the mothers, to send the children to school regularly making the school educational and especially the non-formal educational programs interesting and worthwhile, motivating and also helping the parents to associate with the school, help the teachers on request and also make full use of the school when not in session for community education and other practical development work - the school was organised by the head master in collaboration with parents and other village leaders to develop as a village development resource centre.

Cost-benefit results: Improvement in about 1,000 SSDP school was clearly seen within the one/two years: * School attendances improved around by 75 per cent, * the young mothers /older men and women regularly visited when requested - PTA meetings were well attended as parents were happy to be well-respected in the school, the other public officers and opinion leaders in the village used the school infrastructure normally with the permission of the HM (the HM was normally the leader, friend, guide, writer and adjudicator in conflicts), while school management by the HM improved due to the regular associateship by the ministry and regional small school units and the commitment and teaching systems of the teachers, integrating non-formal processes utilising village resources, organising special supervisory management training courses for district education officers and the Circuit Inspectors of schools then available at the time, promoting visits often by the VIPs to the schools in neglect so that the wrong concept of 'those out of sight, out of mind' is eradicated. Innovative ideas/approaches that were appropriate to school curriculum and rural cultural systems were seen... etc.

Extra budgetary provision was provided by the SL Parliament in approving a special 'Small School Development Item' in the annual Education Estimates. (Unfortunately this is no more due to the small-school destructive tactics of the powers that be in education).

While I notice that in the last decade due mainly to the lack of interest of the Educational Administrators, the SSDP has been set at nought. It may be that economically for convenience at the expense of educational deprivation, closure of the small schools may have been the latest economic strategy.

I am sorry for children deprived of the special privilege of education as quoted in Human Rights' article... Hence my urge - is as much a general national education reforms system be formulated, let there be a special area - specific system for schools and other non-formal structures in disadvantageous areas.

Let me finally invite attention of the powers that be in education to the following UN Conventions:

"...Education should be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights... It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship... and shall further the activities of the UN for the maintenance of peace..." Article 26(2).

That 'the Child is entitled to receive education, is stressed in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

(The writer is a former Chairman, Education Service Board of the Public Service Commission)

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.ppilk.com

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager