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| Wednesday, 4 August 2004 |
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Letters | |
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I am neither an educationist nor a teacher, but I, a student, poor in circumstances, in my time, received perhaps the best education this island had to offer, during the period now dismissed as the colonial era. Then, in the immediate period after the dawn of Independence, when merit and fair play were still the criteria, my education and training were rounded off by foreign exposure. Having received these blessings, when values dominated, I weep silently at the state of our Education. If at the dawn of the Independence the trend had continued and was accelerated and spread out, most students of today should be receiving an education, equal if not superior, to that imparted to their grandparents. These comments on the teaching of Maths and Science at the O'Level, based on my recent experience of teaching just one child, will illustrate my view point. When one compares the local O'level Maths syllabus with the London O'Level, the difference is wide. The latter contains Matrics, Vectors, Transformations, Solid Trigonometry and even differentiation. I counted eight different sections, at one time. Those sections are introduced in early grades. For example, Vectors are introduced in Grade 6. But when we did locally the London Matriculation the syllabus and the textbooks were exactly the same. Proposal: We need to modernize our Maths syllabus from the O'Level right down to Grade 1. It would be worthwhile to find out how modern nations are dealing with the teaching of Maths. Long term goal: To be on par with the London O'Level, just as it had been. The teaching of Maths in our schools is pathetically low. Teachers fall absent at will. The syllabus is not covered. In the last days, the teachers skim the surface, the hard problems untouched. Sometimes one begins to wonder whether the teacher is competent to teach a particular section. The teachers themselves encourage the students indirectly to go for tuition. But when the A's and B's are counted the school gets the credit. Of course, there are some dedicated teachers. Proposal: All Maths teachers for the O'Level should be graduates with Maths as a subject. But all graduates don't make good teachers. So they should be trained and tested in the teaching of Maths, and given a code of conduct; they should also be bilingual. They should be given attractive salaries, given executive status, and sent to schools islandwide. They should teach, train and monitor the other Maths teachers in the school, also non-graduate Maths teachers could join the scheme, subject to the same discipline. This way, saturation could-be reached soon. If in the rush to introduce computer Literacy, Maths is not upgraded we will be producing a nation of worker bees. Whilst on this matter and not wanting to tread on anyone's toes, it has to be stressed that adding more subjects to the O'Level, while not disputing the objectives, is counter-productive. To a student objectives don't matter but how easy is the subject to get through relatively. Relatively speaking, Maths, Science are difficult but Religion easy. That's why, students, in numbers, gravitate to the Arts streams. I must mention, one more point, that is, regarding violence in the campus. The students are only taking after their elders. Which came first: violence in the political arena during electioneering, or violence in the campus during electioneering. When the former stops the latter will stop. Now, to the Sciences. In the local O'Level, Science is a mix of all the sciences with a little bit of everything. It doesn't take the student anywhere. Experiments are not done not even the simplest. Do they know a pipette from a burette? Results are obtained through tuition cramming. Science is a study of the Laws of Nature. Most students don't see it that way to find joy in studying it. In the London O'Level the subjects are separated. Textbooks prescribe experiments using sophisticated instruments, like electronic weighing machines, electronic timers, G-M counter, and so on. Out, the common balance, in the scientific calculator. They have forged ahead. The gap is so wide that I, as an ordinary layman, cannot go far. But I would like to put out three points: At the O'Level, separate the students into different streams, Science being one. All streams should have Maths, English and Computer Technology compulsory. Science should be taught as separate subjects. In the selection and training of science teachers, follow the same procedure as Maths. Incorporate the leading International Schools into our system. Their teachers are dedicated, standards high and in level with London. Their students should be allowed, rather encouraged, to compete with our students for places in the University. This way we may retain some of those bright students to serve the Nation. We should edge our way to the standards set by these International Schools. I. S. F - This refers to a letter published on the above DN July 21 by E.C. Siromani of Mt. Lavinia. The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) wishes to clarify its position regarding the matters raised. The ill effects of strikes by medical personnel is a matter concerning the Ministry of Health. The Sri Lanka Medical Council has endorsed the suggestion to work out a system of arbitration, but like so many good intentions, no one appears to be interested in implementing it. The registration of doctors (Medical Practitioners) and other categories are done according to the regulations in the Medical Ordinance. Doctors who are citizens of Sri Lanka, who have obtained a recognized degree from a foreign country have to pass a special exam prescribed by the Council to be eligible for registration. The World Health Organisation has a directory of medical schools published at the request of the respective Governments, but there is no assessment of standards or recognition. The prestige of an institution depends on the competence of the persons who obtain training at such institutions. There is a dearth of specialists in the country but not non-specialist doctors in the Ministry of Health. There is mal-distribution of doctors, with rural areas being underserved compared to major hospitals which are in urban areas. This is again a matter under the purview of the Ministry of Health. The system of registration of medical personnel has evolved to maintain professional standards, to safeguard the public, including those in rural areas, so that they have to achieve a minimum standard to be registered. There is a clause in the Medical Ordinance where temporary registration is given to persons employed as medical officers by the Government. It does not apply to citizens who wish to obtain full registration. Doctors and nurses working in BOI projects are given temporary registration when the employers furnish proof that they are unable to recruit local personnel with the necessary qualifications and experience. It is the Director General of Health Services who recommends their registration considering the needs of the country. However, the SLMC will assess their knowledge and skill to practise in a particular field at a particular institution for a limited period. PROF. P. S. S. PANDITHARATNE, Registrar - There goes my political daughter! So said Oxford educated Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaraniake, pinpointing Chandrika, out of his three children, Sunethra, Chandrika and Anura. That was way back during his short spell as head of the nation a little less than five decades ago before he was assassinated by his own people. True to his political vision and perhaps wish President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is now the Head of the Nation. She is vested with powers, much higher than her father Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike enjoyed during his short spell as the Head of the Country. Nobody will deny the fact that it was the political daughter of the late Prime Minister Bandaranaike, who had the courage to initiate a suitable political solution to this vexed question. It was hailed by moderate thinking people on both sides of the divide. Though it did not carry the model's name, perhaps fearing the repercussion, it was real federalism. Pressure was brought on her at first to dilute it, and finally abandon it. Ignorant and innocent Sinhalese masses are told by cunning selfish Sinhala politicians that the late S.J.V. Chelvanayakam was the first to have thought of a federal constitution with some ulterior motive. Far from it, the late Premier S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, straight from Oxford had this idea of federalism for a multi-racial country long before S.J.V. Chelvanayakam even thought of entering politics. Sunethra Bandaranaike, elder daughter of the late Premier in an interview in an English Service confirmed this sometime back. Apart from Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, there are several in the UNP and other parties who are ready to co-operate with the President to evolve a suitable solution to this vexed question once and for all. P. C. P. GNANADURAI - It is nearly one year since the former Government took a decision to pay an enhanced pension to the pensioners in keeping with the levels of December 1996. The present Government is kind enough to increase the pensions to the levels of December 1997. However, nothing practical has happened other than in the Galle region where enhanced pensions have been paid with arrears. In the other regions few selected favourites have been paid in enhanced pensions. Since the declaration of the enhanced pensions a few thousands of pensioners have passed off peacefully reducing the burden on the authorities, and every day this number is on the increase. Payment of enhanced pensions to a section of the pensioners has exposed the authorities to a threat making the pensioners qualified to go before the courts on Human Rights since a Prima-facie case has been created by the authorities for them on discrimination. In an HR case all what has got to be proved is that one has been treated differently from others. L. U. SAMARAWICKREMA - How puerile is attitudinal approach of the Director of Pensions and the Div. Secretaries in the districts in handling the rectification of pensionary benefits, can be guaged when one takes a glance at the letters Page of Daily News. The pensioners mounted this agitation when the Governments of the past made ad hoc payments to political favourites of Trade Unions. The salary and pension recommendations made by the BC Perera and Wanasinghe Committees drastically pruned and only a negligible percentage was permitted as conceptually pensioners were a dying force with none to mourn. The confusion was confounded when the Teachers' Service and the Principals' Service were given an unprecendented hike to the dismay and envy of all grades in the Public Service. The benevolence came from the Minister of Education in 1997 Richard Pathirana. I have no grudge about the enhancement as the teachers were a neglected and unhonoured lot at that time or even before. None could decry his stand because he took a lot of pain by appointing the PA Senaratna Committee and ensured that he got the report of recommendations in time in order to avoid any inordinate delays and undue criticism. However his successor took some time to implement it due to the precarious financial and political situation wafting throughout the country. The Circular No. 6/2004 made red livers of the Div. Office men white and had no manhood to display as this lacked the texture of circulars issued by the experienced men of the past in the CCS/CAS. Thus, the whole episode turned controversial, lamentable and woeful. It has become a woe of woes. Some aged with spirits dwelling in suspense go to Div. Secretaries and begged to command their diligence and promptitude. But like the brook "I chatter, chatter, as I flow" attitude is displayed. So let us wait. Let me quote Dante here to satisfy you. Day was departing and the dusk drew on, Loosing from labour every living thing Save me, in all the world; I - I alone L. G. ANDERSON - |
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