In: conformity, Out: creativity

While the colonial education system downgraded the teaching profession making it the least paid among such, the current NGOs - very much system driven lure intellectual capital - the attraction being star class remuneration. The two institutional mechanisms certainly were intensely motivated - the outcome being dumping of intellectuality.

Being the least paid among professions, those that went into teaching were ones devoid of intellectual skills - their products then should not surprise us. Pre-colonial education in temple surroundings amid natural settings saw monk and student in intellectual rapport, only to be replaced under colonial environs by conformity, order and all that came with that fad term - 'discipline'.

To recall some past 'Ringside' matter - remember my reference to the Delhi zoo in the book 'Political Agenda of Education', and how the teacher was only into pushing students forward with a hard knock on the stagnating child, hell bent on perceiving the animals inside every cage.

Such 'inquiry - unfriendly intolerance' is a reflection of a larger picture for, the spirit of inquiry is always what the system discourages and repels at least in self-interest. To manage and control an uninquiring herd (here it is the one track human) is far easier than otherwise.

The current NGOs - seemingly into an exercise akin to the colonial education system - are now making headway attempting to eliminate what little remains of intellectuality and scholarship. The immense stress and strain on wallets does not exclude even those of the intellectuals which weak point is most system conducive. As a result, NGOs hire such personnel at high salary points putting the lid on what would otherwise be a system challenger.

That said, what should not take us aback then is the erosion of values, norms, ethics and all of time cherished ideals. Even the universities reportedly fall short of such. Adding to this normless, chaotic state is the celebration of what has come on as 'market'.

The invisibility it is supposed to contain is more at discreet operational levels of manipulation than anything else of a sanctified nature. Thus we see the tripod of colonial education, NGOs and the celebrated market and its latest addition - the computer wave - all collaborating to bring out what was not.

By the way, the current trend in Anglo / American / Australian societies is the dwindling demand for computer whiz kids. Certainly, computers do facilitate the information thirst but will continue to remain most unsuited to take on creativity - the type that comes off the human brain. That it is no replacement to creativity has dawned even though belated augurs well.

The current NGO wave along with the colonial education and its agenda - both bearing similarities and evokes much analytical probing. Each time the West offers a programme, significantly, at operational level indigenous human capital is preferred to make the respective local populace feel more comfortable and secure.

Outstanding among such was on independence eve how the local elite were chosen to carry out international elite agenda. Likewise NGOs, so very heavily funded are manned in most instances by the locals. Besides, from Coke, Pepsi to Kentucky Fried Chicken, it's a one big go across frontiers through indigenous mechanisms.

Following all this is the birth of another new class - the 'new rich' as they are called. Being the outcome of 'progressive' societal evolution, the breed comes as the second evolutionary process - the first as Martin Wickremasinghe astutely observed in Gamperaliya. Whether there will be a repetition of Martin Wickremasinghe in the social and literary enclave to embark on a literary exercise on the birth of the new rich remains doubtful if not certainly very remote.

Why it should be so is certainly the tripod as stated earlier on - a collaborative effort of colonial education, NGOs, market and computers - an orchestra as it were playing in unison if there ever was such a number, "The death of creativity".