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CITIZENS' MAIL
The Higher Education Ministry has decided to make compulsory for all
university entrants a three week training in army camps (supposedly
because they are the only places that can accommodate all the entrants)
and then give them three months of training in English and Information
Technology (IT) at District level.
While the intentions may be laudable, I wish to argue that the
drawbacks outweigh the benefits. I hope Vice Chancellors and others in
academic leadership will support me. I list the reasons for my
opposition below.
* This measure will delay entrance to universities, causing both
entrants and their parents much anxiety.
* Most if not all universities have orientation programmes at which
English, IT and other soft skills are taught. It is much better for
students to be taught in their future academic environments rather than
at district level, because a university environment is an academic one
that creates a sense of seriousness of purpose.
* It must be remembered that a previous programme of this nature,
i.e. the GELT programme was not continued, presumably because it was a
failure. What guarantee do the universities have that we will not have
to repeat English and IT classes once students come to the universities
- causing further delay in graduation?
* In the same context, individual universities will take an active
interest and responsibility in teaching English and IT, because the
teaching of further courses will be made more difficult if their own
students do not have these skills. It is not clear who feels responsible
for the newly proposed English and IT programme, but there is NO
naturally structured responsibility that they will have; the trainers
not see the students after the training. If the ministry wants to
improve English and IT among students, they should strengthen existing
orientation programmes within universities - NOT start new and untested
ventures.
* While I have the greatest of respect for the army for their recent
achievements, an army camp is not the place that the majority of
potential entrants would like to go to. Many parents would be very
apprehensive about sending girls especially to such camps. Furthermore,
while I am sure there are many Tamil entrants and parents who would be
thankful to the army for delivering them from the LTTE, there would be
many others who would be apprehensive about anything to do with the army
- these are social realities that we have to contend with and mere
assurances of safety within these camps would not suffice. In fact
Muslim girls may even be prohibited by their religion from attending
such residential camps. I myself may not mind a son undergoing such
training but would be reluctant for a daughter to do so.
* As a Senior Professor with 30 years of service, I consider student
diversity to be one of the most significant ingredients in the process
of producing good graduates. I do NOT wish to see parents of Tamil or
female entrants opting to send their children to private universities or
to settle for non-university careers in accountancy, marketing or
banking purely because of the obstacle created by this training in army
camps. The entire university community will be impoverished thereby. We
must make sure that decisions we take do not discourage or cause
discomfort to ANY potential entrant.
* If this training is made compulsory, it is very likely that some
parent or entrant will file a fundamental rights case against it because
this requirement was not divulged at the point that students were
applying for entry. If nothing else, such a lawsuit will delay the
entire academic calendar, and once again ALL students will be the
losers.
In the above context, I call upon the relevant decision makers to
postpone any training of this nature until much wider consensus is
sought. My own strong view is that existing orientation programmes
should be strengthened. If at all, the proposed training for this year
should be conducted on a purely experimental and voluntary basis.
Professor Priyan Dias
The General Manager, Condominium Authority by an unnumbered circular
dated April 4, 2011, the wording of which lacks administrative finesse
and courtesy expected, has called upon the owners of the flats in the
Bambalapitiya Flats housing Scheme to forward him, the names and
telephone numbers of the owners, copies of the deeds of transfer in
respect of the housing units and copies of the Rates and Taxes notices
sent by the Colombo Municipal Council.
Several questions arise over the CMA General Manager's Circular
Letter referred to
1) Has the General Manager, CMA administrative control over the flat
owners especially when CMCs have not been formed?
2) The Condominium Management Authority has been in existence under
the present General Manager for over a decade. Why was the required
information not obtained from the NHDA? Does this not mean that the CMA
has been malfunctioning?
3) Why was the Bambalapitiya Flats only singled out to collect this
information?
4) Why did the CMA under the present General Manager fail to take
action against unauthorized constructions and common (state) land
encroachments illegally resorted to, by certain residents even after
complaints were sent and reports have been forwarded by the NHDA
officials, when according to the act the GM, CMA should act even on a
telephone call or information? Does that not amount to gross neglect of
duty on the part of the GM?
5) Why has the GM discriminated against two residents by demolishing
and stopping construction whilst ignoring unauthorized consecutions and
land encroachments by others?
Upali S Jayasekera
Colombo
Dengue - the killer disease still continues to spread. The Health
Ministry and Local Bodies are making a lot of awareness programmes to
prevent deaths.
The main thing is to clean the compounds and vicinities, specially
water clogs. Having watched so many deaths, specially of children on TV
news, most of the people are all out in keeping their areas clean.
All these are open spaces. But there are many private properties and
State institutions where the killer mosquitoes are freely breeding.
Properties purchased by people are left as they are allowing plants,
grasses and weeds to grow with so many muddy holes. Some are fenced. Big
State institutions, like State Engineering Corporation at Peliyagoda,
then the Railway yards between Fort and Maradana, could be seen when
passing in a bus or train respectively.
Nazly Cassim
Colombo 13
For the last decade delivering the festive mail has ceased and the
Postal Authorities attribute the reason that their overtime expenditure
has increased and the only way out was to suspend the above delivery.
I have been a Postal Employee for 40 years and attached to the mails
section at the Central Mail Exchange. It was with utmost enthusiasm that
we performed Night duties to clear the usual backlog and it was a
pleasure to see the Delivery men riding away "Ringing their bell twice"
and hand over the cards. These men will be very happy if they are paid
their Holiday Pay once again - after all it is only two days of the year
Vesak and Christmas.
George Wilfred Dissanayake
Kotte
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