The JVP says that the Budget is not people friendly; meaning most
probably that that it has not provided salary increases and perks to
employees.
They fail to understand that it is Country Friendly! The UNP says
that the budget provides no avenues to bring down the Cost of Living. If
this economists do not understand, it should get down foreign advisers
with party funds.
When a country has an abundant money supply, the citizens invariably
have more money in their hands, if not a dictatorship.
The higher money supply pushes prices up. It could be an
unconscionable profiteering and black-marketing; but that does not last
long, for competition among traders bring down prices to real levels.
A newspaper said that the Budget was a damp squib, attempting to be
sensational. Journalists should write the truth, and not twist to
accommodate their petty prejudices! They have a duty to write for their
country.
The Tamil National Alliance is a proxy for the LTTE. It wants 'State
terrorism' stopped. Who are the terrorists? Who killed the Jaffna Mayor,
Alfred Duraiappah, Tiruchelvam, Amirthalingam, Lakshman Kadirgamar and a
host of other Tamils who wanted amity with the Sinhalese and Muslims who
were all Sri Lankans.
No negotiated political solution is possible for Prabakaran has
clearly said at Heroes Day meeting that he would die for Eelam. Thamil
Selvam has said that the LTTE would not stop until they have secured
full autonomy, meaning a separate State of Tamil Eelam.
The TNA criticizes the large expenditure on Defence for they want to
see the LTTE better armed.
Its funds come from taxing people who visit Eelam and the rest from
secret foreign contributions and world bodies of which Sri Lanka holds
membership!
Politically inspired, idling Government Servants stage protests and
want salary adjustments but The Year 2006 Budget gave a 50 per cent
increase in salaries and the balance has been provided or in the current
2007 Budget.
What more do they want? The Budget has accommodated expenses on the
Maga neguma and Gama neguma projects. An Airport is come up in Wirawila,
which will push up the economies of Hambantota, Tangalle, Matara and
Galle and offer employments to thousands.
The Hambantota harbour and the Norochcholai electricity venture
together with hillcountry proposal and the exploitation of the Eppawela
rock Phosphate deposits will regain much for the country.
PETER RANATUNGA - Dehiwela
After reading this news item, I was a bit amused. What is a public
place? Who is going to police this? More corruption with the law
enforcement agency.What a joke this is? First of all, to enforce a thing
like this, we should educate our people.
Recent visit to Sri Lanka and spending three months there, I realised
that the community as a whole very selfish, self centered and no respect
to law and order. Let's go back to basics, and start all over again.
LALITH FERNANDO - Australia - via email
The Island newspaper of November 2 carried a news item 'Schools close
early today' in which it stated that "All Government schools, Government
approved private schools and Pirivenas would close at 11 am today (2) to
enable the Department of Census and Statistics to enumerate the computer
literacy of teachers."
In the modern day, computer knowledge is becoming more important in
every aspect of our lives and it is indeed encouraging to note that the
Government is taking measures to educate teachers on the use of computer
technology to enhance teaching skills in schools.
This will hopefully improve the standards of teaching and widen the
horizons of both teachers and students. The Department of Census and
Statistics must be commended for taking on the onerous task of doing an
islandwide census on the computer literacy of teachers.
Why have principals of schools been excluded in this exercise?
Computer knowledge in schools must start from the highest post in a
school?
Before the Government takes a census on computer literacy, it is only
natural that the teachers and principals need to be tested on their
levels of English knowledge - this unfortunately would give us a
deplorable picture of the quality of the staff!
More often than not, we Sri Lankans somehow 'put the cart before the
horse' as it were. We are taking a census on computer literacy but do we
ever take into consideration of how many schools in the country
(excluding schools in cities and major towns), even have the basic
utility facilities of electricity and telecommunications?
What is our proud track record to provide such basics to the rural
schools? Are we being fair by rural schools in this operation or not?
How much responsibility are the District Ministers of Education taking,
in looking after the needs of rural schools in their districts? A
fact-finding mission to these areas will reveal astounding results!
It would certainly be worthwhile, if the same department could do
another census in the very near future, to determine how many 'qualified
teachers' we have in the country to teach the subjects they are
handling?
Whether these teachers qualify or not, should be decided on how many
of their students go for extra tuition classes in the subjects those
teachers do in school and how many teachers do tuition classes after
school and force their students to attend them?
If the teacher is doing a good job, none of their students will be
required to attend extra classes which are conducted by the very same
teachers who earn money both from the Government as well as their own
students!
Does this sound ethical to any educationist in this country? Any
given student could be weak in one or two subjects which is to be
expected.
However, if a student is attending tuition classes for all their
subjects, then there is definitely something wrong with the teachers and
their attitudes towards their students as well as their responsibilities
towards the teaching profession as a whole - is this not so?
Children are turning out to be 'senseless machines' (like
computers!), they have lost the 'joys of childhood' due to the
insensitivity of those who handle education in this country. These
children have absolutely no time to enjoy nature or to play with their
neighbours!
Being a parent in our society today is by no means an easy task.
Other than having to pay for their children's education requirements in
schools (including extra curricular activities for which separate fees
are collected), the parent also needs to find additional income to
facilitate giving tuition to their children in almost every subject
whether they like it or not!
An approximate estimate of what a parent needs to pay as tuition fees
monthly for their children, could vary between Rs. 2,000 - Rs. 4,000
depending on which grade these children are in school.
To be able to accommodate such expenses, we need to guess what the
monthly income of parents must be and also determine whether this is an
acceptable practise or not? Does this not prove that the system of
education in this country has deteriorated?
That the teachers are not performing their duties for which the
Government is paying them a monthly wage?
The above facts are in relation to parents and children in the cities
- the situation in the rural schools is far more pathetic because most
schools do not even have the full quota of required teachers per school!
This is putting the rural student at a very great disadvantage as
against students from the cities - is this not so?
Let us not resort to 'patch work' by getting volunteer teachers who
are expected to work 'gratis' who are not enrolled into the regular
payroll even after serving the Government for 4-6 years! If the regular
Government teachers get a monthly wage plus bonus with additional
tuition fees every month, don't these teachers deserve even a basic
salary?
Are they not human beings who also need money for their daily
expenses? We have read in the newspapers during the last couple of years
(also seen some protests) of how these volunteer teachers have to resort
to 'hunger strikes' to draw the attention of the officials to their
pathetic situation. Is this the dignity they deserve as teachers?
Children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. If they are not
offered a 'wholesome education' which is the right of every child in
this country, those responsible for shirking their responsibilities must
be punished for the crimes committed against our children.
'Knowledge' is the only thing that will enable our children to become
law-abiding, disciplined and decent citizens as well as our leaders of
future Sri Lanka.
RAMANI D. WICKRAMARATNE - Kotte
Will any one explain to the nation under which circumstances does an
identification parade become compulsory? Because recently in connection
with my father's murder case, there was an identification parade held
after four months of the incident.
There were five persons directly involved in that murder case. Four
persons including two prime suspects surrendered to the police and all
of them accepted the brutal incident and surrendered through their
respective lawyers except one who is still absconding.
In that identification parade four months after the incident, my
stepmother, the prime witness to that case luckily could identify only
the two prime suspects except the other two out of 34 persons kept on
that parade.
The motive of the killing was robbery of over Rs. 30 million worth of
gems from my father after killing him.
Their first and second attempts failed in different occasions, but
their third attempt succeeded soon after my father returned from the
mosque at around 8 PM on that fateful night, just before he attempted to
take his last dinner.
Though all four criminals accepted the offence, then why the court
official kept another 30 persons among the criminals to confuse the
identification.
Thank god, finally my stepmother could identify two persons out of
four. If she could not identify at all, what the case would be? I hope
that someday at the high rank official of the court will amend the law
of identification parade.
If compulsory only, to be kept the identification parade. What a law
for identification parade for accused in accepted cases!
M. A. ISMATH - Beruwala |