Should education be a monopoly of a Government ?

K A D C Nanayakkara

There are groups in the country who emphasize education should be a monopoly of the Government under education Act No. 5, 1960 and it should be free under the Act No. 26 of 1947. But validity of these acts are challenged by later developments affected by the increasing demand for higher education and education in English medium, since the government education system is not strong enough to meet these demands.

There are persons who consider higher education also as a privilege and the right of highest scorers of G C E (A/L) and other examinations of school systems by neglecting all others. They consider all attempts to obtain higher education through other alternatives other than government schools and university system, is a violation of national education policy.

Children gearing up for the future

In a country where there is an open economy with rapidly developing private sector enterprises, it is possible the Government alone with a limited resources to bear all expenses for provision of a quality education to satisfy increasing demands.

The nature of the education

To discuss above issue first of all we should try to identify what is education. When we consider about an individual, all knowledge, skills, attitudes and valued acquired by a person from mothers womb up to death could be defined as education.

When we consider about the society education is a never ending continuous on going process, which is transferred from a generation to the next. It is a natural biological need and fundamental right of every human being like air, food, water, light and shelter. Whether a person likes or dislikes no one cannot survive without learning. Therefore learning is a natural need and ability of everybody. Famous educationist Johin Dewy declared "education is not preparation for life, it is life itself." We cannot identify education only with a school, fixed curriculum, books or examinations and certificates, which are considered as components of formal stream of education, which is mostly institutionalized. Most of experiences person needs for his general life are acquired through home, social and natural environment, where exists most powerful curriculum, which is considered as informal or natural stream of learning. Outside of these two streams there are many organized, mostly non Government or volunteer educational opportunities considered as non formal stream.

Control of the Government

Out of these streams a Government may be able to control only the formal stream or system, to some extant by imposing laws and restrictions. A Government can pass acts imposing all children of compulsory formal school age should learn only in Government schools or in private registered schools. We have to reconsider how this educational law is reasonable and justifiable where following questions could be raised.

If the education is a fundamental right, need and the ability of a person, why education shouldn't be available or, consumed as food, and air according to the need and discretion of the person? Is compulsory education means, learning only in government and government approved schools that belongs to formal system? There are about 2% of children population in the country who do not enter to formal stream from primary grade 1 and what will be their destiny? There were and there are children of elite class who study privately at home, without attending a school. How does the government impose compulsory education law on them. What is the guarantee the Government can offer the compulsory education provided by Government and registered private schools will satisfy all education needs of all children by fulfilling their and their parents expectations, including higher performances in examinations. Can Government challenge to the right of a parent who should decide the nature of the education that he wishes to provide to his child?

Failure of the formal system

The formal education system, those are mostly under the control of Government throughout the world were unable to prove their quality and efficiency to meet individual needs and demands of their clients or customers, and needs for national development. Formal education which should support to minimize social disparities, has supported to increase them, instigating to increase social stratifications and crippling peace and harmony.

Present system always pave the way, to proceed ahead a few students selected as "clever" "brilliant" or "gifted" to acquire highest position of the society neglecting a vast majority as "unclever", "weak" or "less educated". But there are many instances about such individuals who acquired highest positions surpassing those who were selected as clever and gifted. Always formal system encourage to retain or stagnate human abilities relevant to the shape of traditional "normal curve" of human abilities, emphasizing the amount of clever brilliant or gifted should be limited, and is it scientific and relevant to the natural law. But according to modern vision of education the responsibility of education is not the preservation of normal curve of human abilities, but to change its shape by pushing it right increasing the number of brilliant, clever or gifted, minimizing the weak.

What should be the government policy

Education should be considered as a comprehensive process which consists of informal, formal and nonformal stream as stated above and they should be treated as complementary. The importance of competent individuals emerged outside the formal system should not be underestimated, by considering them as uncertificated. Even in formal system there are artificial divisions such as Government schools, registered private schools and unregistered private schools. Government schools are again divided as national and provincial and again into various types.

Although these divisions may be needed for administrative purposes, the problem is these divisions and designations transfers various value levels to respective schools, by overestimations and underestimations. This the syndrome that created, by the competition of chasing after more prestigious schools. At present, current education law is a obstacle to unregistered private schools including international, where most of students are children of Sri Lanka citizens and there should be suitable alternative mechanism, for accreditation of these schools.

Degree awarding bodies and support services

As the number of Government institutions and their accommodation are limited to meet increasing demand for higher, technical and professional education, individuals and firms had established, various institutions to meet this demand. Some of these institutions are affiliated with foreign universities and higher education institutions and at the meantime there are mushroom type institutions and their only objective is money exploitation by misleading students and parents who are lack of general awareness of new trends and future educational needs.

With the increase of this type of institutions Sri Lanka is becoming a market for selling of certificates without providing a quality education or training. Competition and fear created by public examinations had compelled most of students to seek support of private tuition, even during school hours evading school classes. The aim of tuition masters and proprietors is money, where classes are conducted even in physically and mentally harmful environments even by less qualified teachers

Since the Government is the common legal organization of citizens of the country, and as education is the major determinant factor which affects the survival and the development of the society, government possesses a legal right to interfere into any educational institution of the country for the national benefit. But this never means an obstruction or a control, but the checking of relevance and the quality or standard for guidance. For this purpose there should be a national level government organization or an Institute to accredit any education institute, whatever the origin. In considering above facts we can reach to following conclusions:

1. Government cannot and shouldn't maintain a monopoly of education imposing restrictions.

2. Education should be available according to needs and discretion of the individual, from any suitable institution whether governmental or non governmental.

3. Parents have the right to decide the nature of the education, what he/she desires to provide for the child.

4. In history there are examples where rulers, Government or religious organizations tried to control minds of people, using general or religious education by maintaining a monopoly. But most of these attempts failed, and sometimes ended in disaster.

Adolp Hitler's fascist education which was known as "Education for Death" is a good example.

But the right, ability and freedom for teaching and learning should be utilized for the benefit of whole society. But any individual, school, institution or an organization whether Governmental or non Governmental providing or selling irrelevant, low quality education or training to exploit money, by misleading school students and school leavers the government should have unchallengeable authority to interfere and take suitable actions. This interference shouldn't misinterpreted as a privatization of education. For this purpose there should be a central body or institution attached to the Ministry of Education, authorized for accreditation and checking. As in developed countries only qualified professional should be allowed to start and conduct private educational institutions, including cram schools and support services.

(The writer is Former Director General of Education and Education Consultant)