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Parents and children who qualify to enter university after Advanced
Level results rejoice. Of the number qualified only 2-3 per cent enter
the University system. Some join foreign degree colleges in Sri Lanka to
obtain higher qualifications, some do numerous types of courses to
further their education. Some get employed.
There is a lack of about 30,000 seats for University education in the
country based on results. The sad part is that we lose approximately
7,000 young intellectuals who qualify GCE AL to overseas Universities
due to lack of openings in the University system of the country.
It is seen in the media, confirmed by Minister of Education in
Parliament. What is shocking is Universities of many countries having
country status above, equal and below Sri Lanka advertise to entice
students to join, offering numerous facilities, scholarships etc. even
offering degree in Medicine, Engineering and other lucrative
professional qualification.
Some schools and International Schools conduct classes for GCE OL and
AL in English medium. Most of the students who qualify leave the
country. State education is supposed to be free.
Others pay for higher education to local Degree/Diploma awarding
instructions. Those who join Overseas Universities drain approx USD 60 M
a year from our Exchange system legally and illegally. Some who obtain
degrees from overseas universities, unable to obtain work visa return
but majority do not. We talk of Brain Drain. We are draining our brains
from age 18 upward due to lack of University seats within the country.
What is the solution to retain students within the country and save
foreign remittance sent to country by those employed overseas and
convert Brain Drain to Brain Gain.
Encourage Private Universities:
Entrance to these Universities to be controlled by the cut off marks
to be set by Ministry of Education based on the number of seats
available and level of qualification offered.
Private Universities can determine their own fee structure:
The students must sit for same examinations as done at the State
universities under the supervision of Ministry of Education by paying an
examination fee. Students will sit the same final examination for BSc,
MBBS, etc. as the State universities.
In the case of MBBS clinicals could be done in selected private
hospitals, which have equivalent facilities as State hospitals,
internship too could be done in a similar manner. If this system is
adapted we will reduce young brain drain. Stop politicisation of
Universities, thereby resulting in no politically motivated student
unrest.
Those who can afford will enter Fee levying Universities thereby
creating more opportunity for the less affluent to enter State
university system.
Country will have graduates to suit the employer requirement and not
graduates who are unemployable in the private sector and only employable
by the State sector.
Have enough, intelligent young people to steer country towards
prosperity and save valuable foreign exchange to be utilised for
development of infrastructure. The value of University system, quality
as well as respect to faculty could be re-established.
TISSA JAYAWEERA
Chairman International Chamber of Commerce
The article on the above (Oct 13) is very commendable. It would be
far better to have the access road to World’s End repaired.
Last January, while I was on vacation from Riyadh, we drove up and
had a car tyre puncture and since the spare tyre did not have full
pressure, we had to turn back because of the bad road; and this was a
disappointment for, my wife and daughter who had never visited the
Horton Plains before.
I hope this article would get the attention of the Local Authorities
and the required repairs done. And hopefully on my next vacation in
December/January 2008, the road would be better!
TERRENCE B. DE SILVA Saui Arabia
This letter has reference to the article titled ‘Child sexual abuse
must be stopped now’ by Lionel Wijesiri which appeared on the Weekend of
Daily News on Saturday October 11. I wish to point out a glaring
omission in that otherwise informative article.
The man who was responsible for highlighting child abuse including
child sexual abuse in Sri Lanka is Professor D.G.Harendra de Silva,
Professor of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of
Kelaniya.
His original research has brought this unsavoury topic to the
limelight of not only our land but globally as well and he was in fact
the Founder Chairman of The National Child Protection Authority which
was established in the 1990s.
He has published numerous scientific research articles on the subject
and is currently considered to be a world authority on the subject.
Many are the occasions where he has been requested to speak as an
invited lecturer on this topic abroad and many countries have honoured
him for his work on child abuse. Many countries are known to have gone
to considerable expense just to get him as an invited guest lecturer at
several international scientific meetings.
Sadly, the writer of the article referred to above has ignored the
tremendous contribution made by Professor Harendra De Silva towards
safeguarding the children of this resplendent isle from child abuse.
I am personally aware of the selfless sacrifices made by him, the
dedication and determination with which he has relentlessly pursued the
perpetrators of child abuse and the very many threats including death
threats levelled against him on account of his work in The National
Child Protection Authority.
I believe that at least a passing mention should have been made in
that article to the efforts made by a son of the soil towards the cause
of the hidden burden of child abuse in Sri Lanka.
With his internationally acclaimed reputation, Professor De Silva
can, at any time, secure a very lucrative foreign posting related to
child abuse in a developed country but the man has decided to abhor even
a thought of such an occurrence and has elected to serve his Motherland.
It seems to be in our culture to completely ignore the unique
contributions made by our own experts and academics towards many a
varied field in Sri Lanka. This is either an aberration of unfathomable
minds or a despicable national pastime. It personifies the age old
saying that ‘A prophet is indeed without honour in his own land’.
Dr. B.J.C. Perera Consultant Paediatrician
Everyone is talking about elephant conservation and the elephant
population, but to our relief we found three years ago that our elephant
population was approximately 4,000 when it was dismally speculated at
2,500.
But we have totally ignored our jewel of the jungle, the leopard and
the rolling bear who add glamour to our jungles. In my estimation the
total leopard population (Panthera pardus kotiya) in Sri Lanka is around
250 and total population of bear (Melursus ursinus) is around 150.
Elephants can be bred in captivity at Pinnawala and at Eth
Athurusevana but there are no programmes to conserve or increase the
populations of leopard and bear in Sri Lanka whereas in India there is a
big cry and many programmes to increase the tiger population.
Jim Corbett who shot the famous Man Eater of Rudraprayag once said
that leopard is more beautiful than the tiger and we in Sri Lanka are
blessed with leopards in our jungles but do we care to conserve them? It
is a slight consolation that the study by A.M. Kittle and A. Watson
found three leopards around jungles south of Kandy but the overall
picture in Sri Lanka is extremely bleak for leopards and bears in Sri
Lanka.
Why not a conservation fund be launched for the leopard, bear and
start programmes to increase their population. Wild life enthusiasts
please wake up.
JAYANTHA SAMARASINGHE
Kotte
Reference (DN October 6) letter titled ‘correct way of eating fruits’
written by K. Prasannath of Chenkalady.
According to Prasannath, fruits should be taken on an empty stomach
and not as a dessert after a meal. He has given an illustration of
eating two slices of bread and a slice of fruit later.
He has stated that as fruit digests faster than bread the slice of
fruit digests quickly and is ready to go straight through the stomach
into the intestines but its passage is blocked by the bread which takes
a longer time to digest. He goes further to say that the whole meal
ferments and turns to acid and when the fruit comes into contact with
the food in the stomach the entire mass of food begins to spoil.
He has recommended a three day fruit fast which would clean and
detoxify our body. His contention is that graying hair, balding, nervous
outburst, dark circles under the eyes and all these work will not take
place if we take fruits on empty stomach.
He concludes by saying that if we have mastered the correct way of
eating fruits we have the secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy,
happiness and normal weight. I am not inclined to agree with his
conclusion which is not based on any supportive medical evidence or
otherwise.
I have eaten fruits after meals and lived beyond the Biblical span of
life and I know several people who are in their seventies and eighties
but the behaviour pattern of all known to me including myself is to take
fruits after the meal as dessert and no one has any complication
whatsoever.
I have a friend an Attorney-at-Law aged 86 who is still in active
practice. He has ample hair in his head. He is active and alert. I asked
him whether he was taking fruits before meals. He simply laughed and sad
“Fruits are desserts which should have their turn at the end of the
meal.”
I have spoken to many friends of mine who are very old and in perfect
health. They are also taking fruits after meals as usually done by
everyone. The doctors known to me have said “Eat fruits after meal as
you have always done and continue to be healthy.”
I shall be thankful to be favoured with the opinion of an expert on
the correct way of eating fruits with sound reasons for such opinion. I
am willing and ready to learn and correct my eating habit and also
advise my friends and relatives if I am convinced that my eating habit
has been and is wrong.
V. VIMALARAJAH Colombo 5
I was immensely pleased to go through the news item under the
International White Cane Day celebrations (DN October 14) and made up my
mind to express my heartfelt thanks to The Sri Lanka Council for the
Blind for their humanitarian approach to the vision impaired by
providing them all important things as gifts from the vision gifted men
and women.
The presentation of 15 radios, 30 talking watches, uniforms for 21
cane weavers, five housing grants Rs. 20,000 each, five self-employment
grants Rs. 10,000 each and white canes deserve best reward from God
Almighty who promise paradise for those who give charity to the poor,
the blind and other disabled persons.
This exemplary organisation by the Council for the Blind should
permeate throughout the island. Each local body should organise such
presentation ceremonies to gladden the vision impaired humans.
Those who are gifted with full vision should give charity in
abundance to the blind in their neighbourhood and distant villages and
towns.
That is the real gratitude of an able bodied person to God who
greeted him with full vision.
M. Y. M. MEEADH Kandy
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