Education: where do we go from here?

Sri Lanka is credited with a high literacy rate reckoned as the highest in South Asia, and one of the highest in Asia. Sri Lanka is deemed a Third World country, yet its literacy rate at 92 percent is higher than what is commensurate with a country of that designation. Lest we read too much into these assessments these indices merely indicate that our population numerically as a whole is educated at the rudimentary level. In terms of quality, skills and competence level required to confront the tasks before us, the composition of literacy rate may leave much to be desired.

This reservation is not intended to make any false distinctions or value judgements as between different segments of our workforce. The masses who grunt and sweat at their humble tasks contribute to our growth and well-being no less, and count no less, than those who march in the vanguard of progress. Let me look back and recall briefly on how we have arrived thus far, and then speculate on how we may chart our future course.

In early times, Buddhist monastic establishments (Pirivenas) were the launching pads of our education. Erudite monks presided over the learning process primarily aimed at the clergy. The material of education was mainly Pali, Sanskrit and scriptural texts.

Diversified

This was followed by a renaissance in Sinhala education radiating into secular themes. During the colonial period, education became more diversified and broad based. The Christian missionary societies spearheaded this phase of education activity.

Parallel to the tendency towards a church monopoly of education came the initiatives of Buddhist leaders like Anagarika Dharmapala and Colonel Henry Olcott to establish Buddhist schools to sustain Buddhist faith and values. Their efforts combined with that of the Government resulted in the laying of the modern institutional framework of education leading to the emergence of a countrywide network of schools, those in the metropolis or provincial capitals gaining in prestige.

A landmark in the progress of our education is when Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara presented the recommendations of the Executive Committee of Education of the State Council of Ceylon on May 30, 1944 and introduced the free education system. Under this scheme, Madhya Maha Vidyalayas came into being, making quality education accessible to all, opening up avenues of higher education and better employment to those who lacked the means to gain entry to urban and more exclusive schools.

The vast expansion in school coverage had resulted in a spurt in our literacy rate and we entered the post colonial era reaping the benefits of universal education. In the higher education sphere starting from the Ceylon Medical School established in 1871, we had proceeded to the Colombo University dating back to 1921 and then to the University of Ceylon set up in 1942, its Peradeniya and Colombo Campuses later becoming separate Universities.

We now have 13 State Universities conferring their degrees. It is noteworthy that a major part of our higher education is generalized by private sector institutions where students pursue professional courses in varied fields such as accountancy, marketing, management, business, finance and information technology. When we contemplate where we stand with the current attributes of our educational services, we feel we have come a long way. We cannot, however, indulge in any sense of complacency as we still have to go a longer way.

New phase

Now we have arrived at a wholly new phase in our history. We are well-integrated into the global economy. Our economy is shifting away from agriculture to industry and to a service-based economy capable of attracting foreign investment and off-shoring activities. We have a solid foundation in human resources and communication abilities in English, which is a global language. We have a democratic political system and a responsive private sector. Above all, there is peace in the land, after thirty painful years. Time is ripe and the stage is set for us to focus on rapid growth and development. The Mahinda Chinthana, vision for a new Sri Lanka has targeted an economic growth rate of eight percent rising to 10 percent over 10 years. If these aspirations are to be realized, we need to change the complexion of our education system to produce the range and variety of skills required for development purposes.

We need to reinforce the system to be strong in areas of lifelong learning as distinct from schooling. It is well-recognized that there is a logical link between growth and development on the one hand and science and technology, research and innovation, ICT and software development and education on the other. Our learning processes have to be mandated by the need to create and enhance knowledge in these areas, which at the moment seems to be in short supply.

Our neighbour, India has thought it fit to concentrate heavily on knowledge. They have established the National Knowledge Commission of India because knowledge has been recognized as the key driving force in the 21st Century and India’s ability to emerge as a globally competitive player will substantially depend on its knowledge resources. India believes that to foster generational change, a systemic transformation that seeks to address the concerns of the entire knowledge spectrum is required.

In the overview of the National Knowledge Commission’s Report to the Nation 2006-2009 it is stated that this massive endeavour involves creating a road map for reform of the knowledge sector that focuses on enhancing access to knowledge, fundamentally improving education systems and their delivery, re-shaping the research, development and innovation structures, and harnessing knowledge applications for generating better services.

Keeping this scenario in mind, the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) was constituted in June 2005 by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, to prepare a blueprint for reform of their knowledge related institutions and infrastructure which would enable India to meet the challenges of the future. In our country, it is a matter of concern that a considerable percentage of university graduates and those having secondary level qualifications remain unemployable or without proper employment owing to lack of demand for their kind of skills.

Higher rewards

At the same time, we complain of brain drain when those with high attainments and demand-favoured skills leave our shores for higher rewards and remuneration elsewhere. We may console ourselves thinking of it as a species of export in talent and intellect, just as we do with those in less rarified fields who go into foreign employment when we add them in our statistics as foreign exchange earners. But even here, how long will it be before the catchment areas get silted up?

From a human angle, a matter of even greater concern are the travails of those who have wearily, yet resolutely, paddled up the education scheme to the very threshold of State Universities only to have their strivings shifted when they find no room inside.

In the nature of things, it is part of unavoidable human woes. What they may well feel as the un-kindest cut of all is when those of their fellow students who have found their way in, oppose the setting up of private universities where those left out may yet find a sense of fulfilment.

educational spread

In the circumstances, driven by unquenchable aspirations for university degrees, those with means go to foreign universities opening a drain of financial resources behind them. Some enrol in the Open University. There are others who settle for professional courses conducted by private sector non-university institutions. They having no illusions about universities had thought it wise to enrol fairly early in their student careers, with great profit to themselves and to the community.

When we look at this conglomeration of founts of learning, we see no lack in the mater of educational spread. What is necessary is to rationalize this framework to produce the kind and quality of skill useful for development purposes. Some measures are already in place. They include vocational education, teacher training, curriculum development and so on. But these programs need to be pursued with commitment and passion. In an overall sense, time is opportune in Sri Lanka to move towards what is described as “Knowledge economy”. Simply, it means application of knowledge to development. This concept has been acclaimed in the global economy as a recipe for rapid growth.

To be continued