Friday, 15 October 2004  
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Humanising education

Our public education system, widely regarded as free, has also brought forth two categories of products, who could be considered contrasting opposites: those whose disappointed hopes have compelled them into violent ways and those who have used their free education as a stepping stone to greener pastures abroad.

There could have been no better occasion than a Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara commemorative ceremony to take a fresh look at these distortions and that is exactly what President Kumaratunga did on Wednesday. She made the apt point that the aim of the free education system was to bring forth generations who could resolve problems peacefully and rationally and not those who would push themselves impetuously to violence and bloodshed in the face of seemingly daunting challenges; that is, those who would "take to guns and bombs to resolve problems."

The foil for these violence-prone products of the system are those who make maximum use of it to climb the ladder of success. To the latter category belong those numerous professionals who have "gone missing" in the West, completely disregarding what they owe their country of birth. Both categories of products undermine and betray the founding ideals of the free education scheme which was conceived by the 'Father of Free Education' as a boon and blessing for the underprivileged.

We are glad that no less a person than the President has highlighted these contradictions in our public education system, for, it is in the hands of the leaders of the Government to put right any shortcomings in it which have resulted in multifarious social convulsions over the years.

The 'Father of Free Education' laid the foundation for the present public education system. It is left to subsequent generations to perfect this foundation and to build steadily on it. The structure which has been created needs to be improved and rendered flexible to meet present day challenges.

Clearly, education, as it is conceived today at various levels, lacks an ethical component. Nor does it foster creativity and innovative thinking. It is the purpose of the educational reforms launched by President Kumaratunga to meet these needs and we earnestly hope they would succeed.

Specifically, we have failed to spawn men and women who are humanistically-oriented and who care deeply for their countrymen and country. Now at last our educational system is laying the basis sufficiently for patience, love and understanding.

Supplying these needs should be our foremost priority.

World Food Day

The World Food Day falls tomorrow (16). This annual event reminds the world that poverty and hunger remain foremost issues despite the availability of food that can feed every man, woman and child on the planet.

The harsh reality is that more than 840 million people worldwide, especially in the developing countries, are suffering from chronic hunger. As UN Secretary General Kofi Annan points out in his World Food Day message, this is simply unacceptable in a world of plenty.

Annan rightly observes that the world must do far better - politically, economically and scientifically - if it is to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. With the target year (2015) less than 11 years away, anti-hunger programs must be accelerated worldwide.

This year's Food Day theme "Biodiversity for Food Security" highlights the very close relationship between biodiversity and the food cycle. The biosphere provides the plant, animal and microbial genetic resources and material for food production.

Fertilising the soil, recycling nutrients, regulating pests, controlling erosion and pollinating crops are just a few other 'services' that come under biodiversity. We cannot think of food without thinking of biodiversity.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the UN has raised the alarm over the rapid loss of biodiversity. For example, many freshwater fish species, a cheap source of food in many parts of the world, have become extinct. Many species of marine fish are facing the same fate. Another alarming trend is our over-reliance on a few species of crops and animals for food supplies. We depend on just 30 varieties of crops and 14 mammals/birds for food. This threatens their genetic diversity as well.

Both developed and developing countries must pay more attention to protect biodiversity. The 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity pledged to achieve a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. This target must be must be borne in mind in order to avoid a food security crisis.

A projected scarcity of food, coupled with a water shortage, is a worrying prospect especially for Asia and Africa. More than ever, international cooperation is essential to ward off hunger. Developed countries must transfer food technology to developing ones. The latter group must also increase cooperation among themselves - a country that achieves a breakthrough in crop research can share it with others.

The sustainable management of agricultural/biodiversity resources, prevention of plant and animal diseases, better storage and processing techniques for crops, better transport/distribution systems and food safety should also be priorities in the war against hunger.

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