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The prime purpose and focus of education is for the enhancement of
the nation and community. It should produce humility and a greater
awareness towards nation building.
While it is necessary for a nation to provide a certain educational
standard to its citizens, graduates should be made aware that a higher
education does not necessarily mean an elevated employment status. This
is true for any country.
Education is for the higher purpose of acquiring knowledge. This
knowledge should then be utilised constructively by the graduates to
conform to the job-availabilities pertaining to the country. A graduate
should be able to understand the dignity in working in any entity, thus
blending in with the system, and enhancing it.
They should be able to handle almost any job with pride, and impart
their knowledge, thus providing enhancement and improvement to the
entity on the whole. They should be able to inspire job-creation,
feeling satisfied with the monetary system and other structures afforded
by the country.
One way for graduates to learn skills development in certain areas,
such as in Governmental and commercial sectors, is to have Government
and commercial departments impart their knowledge out of volunteerism,
or from regulated tax-breaks.
The Government could revise the curriculum in schools to suit what is
more meaningful for the country. For example, students for extra credit
points could be sent to learning camps of the farmer, the fisherman, the
estate-worker, public day-care worker, custodian, gardeners, labourers
and so on.
The value of common labour should be appreciated and applauded by
all.
While we need intellectuals and entrepreneurs and those who can bring
foreign exchange and innovative ideas into the country, and by no means
should they be discouraged, the work of the common man is the backbone
which will ultimately uphold the nation.
RAMONA T. FERNANDO
U.S.A.
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Refers to reader Praneeth Perera’s letter published under the above
caption (DN Oct. 2). His suggestions should be hailed and appreciated.
Hope the Police will take note of his suggestions and implement them.
Road discipline in our country is at a very low ebb. Very often the
motorists observe that most pedestrians cross the road at their will and
they never care to cross along the pedestrian crossings which are meant
for them.
They do not understand and abide by the red and green lights at
traffic lights indicator. In addition, they just cross at their will at
random without adhering to the basic traffic rules.
I have on more than one occasion in the recent past contributed to
this column in the Daily News and other English papers reiterating on
the subject ‘Educate pedestrians at crossings’. But the appeals made to
the Traffic Police have fallen on deaf ears.
But the Traffic Police are in the habit of charging innocent drivers
for very minor traffic offences to collect revenue. The errant drivers
at most times escape scot-free for traffic offences.
As suggested by Praneeth the pedestrians should be punished and
charged for crossing roads near traffic lights when the red light is on.
If this is implemented, there is going to be a noticeable improvement at
pedestrian crossings for the convenience of motorists.
Sunil Thenabadu
Mount Lavinia
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Recently I went to meet the Grama Niladhari(GN) of our area with my
daughter to obtain a fresh NIC as she has lost the earlier one.
The Grama Niladhari gave an application form and said to come with
the following documents.
1 Police report
2 Birth certificate with photocopy
3 Passport with photocopy
4 Bank Pass Book with photocopy
5 Electricity bill with photocopy
6 Five Photographs taken from a studio named by the G.N.
7 Rupees 15 stamp
As my daughter had the above documents we handed them over and the
G.N. said it will take three months to issue the new NIC.
The electricity bill is not in her name, but in the name of the
father who owns the house.
I really wonder whether all these above mentioned documents are
necessary to obtain a new NIC. What percentage of people in Sri Lanka
could submit items no. 3, 4 and 5. Strangely the G.N. did not ask for an
extract from the voters’ list which I believe is the bare proof of
residence.
I appeal to the Commissioner Registration of Person Department to
inform the public the documents required to obtain a fresh NIC for a
lost one and whether it takes three months to issue a NIC.
ANANDA ABEYWICKRAMA
Colombo 5
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Destination boards on buses should be in Sinhala, Tamil and English -
the last for the convenience of tourists/visitors.
Also, the boards need to be on the front, rear and also preferably on
the right side of buses. This will stop passengers running to the front
of the bus to see the destination and enable those in bus stops reading
the destination from the board on the right side.
I have been a bus passenger for several years and know these
difficulties.
In foreign countries, the boards are placed in this manner to make it
easy for commuters.
The SLCTB has many ‘Sign writers’ but most boards on buses are
illegible, the numbers and letters having been destroyed by exposure to
sun, rain and dust.
DAS SAMUEL
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