President at S Thomas’ College prize giving:
Quality education is founded on bedrock of cultural identity
The quality education, to be complete, must be founded on the bedrock
of cultural identity. A mind, however cultivated, but without cultural
moorings, is pushed around by wind and wave. A man without awareness of
the well-springs of his culture is little more than a robot, said
President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“Although the world is rapidly becoming a global village, there is a
natural instinct in all of us to search for our cultural roots. I think
this is, in essence, a hunt for security, within our minds and hearts,
in the midst of great uncertainty and instability,” said President
Rajapaksa at the annual prize giving of the S Thomas’ College, Mount
Lavinia on Wednesday.
One of the significant weaknesses of our education system today,
which our government is in earnest about rectifying, is the current
emphasis on rote learning.
Education is not about absorbing, retaining and reproducing extensive
volumes of factual material. That destroys the spirit of independent
inquiry which is the central purpose or the core of education, the
President added.
President said: “I believe that it is the duty of every school to
impart to its students education which is of a holistic nature.
Education is a total process directed towards the development of mind,
body and character. Not only academic achievement but sports, extra
curricular activities and cultural activities must consistently receive
in-depth attention in the curriculum of every educational institution”.
Full text of the speech:
I am very pleased to be present at the annual prize giving and to
participate in this way in one of the most significant events of the
calendar of S Thomas’ College and I must thank the Board of Governors
and the Warden ... for inviting my wife and me to this occasion.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the annual prize
giving of S Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia on Wednesday.
Picture by Chandana Perera |
This gives me particular pleasure because of my own close connection
with your school through the lives and careers of my three sons, all of
whom received their education in this institution. S Thomas’ equipped
them not only in terms of their own academic training ... but, in a far
deeper sense, preparing them in every way ... for the challenges that
lie ahead in life.
Through its 150 year history, several basic values it has stood for
and sought to instill in the thousands of students who have had the good
fortune to learn here, stand out clearly and distinctly. Many of these
values have a direct bearing on the priorities of our country, as we
embark on a new and exciting chapter in our history.
I am particularly happy to note that S Thomas’ has throughout its
history produced many men of eminence, including Prime Ministers,
Cabinet Ministers and a large number of professionals who have served
our nation well. Our government is also served by many of your old boys,
including a few Ministers in my Cabinet. A very eminent educationist and
an erudite legal academic, Professor G.L. Peiris is one of them.
Exemplary environment for students
Your school represents the ideal of a happy family, without any
differences as to language, culture or ethnic background. You have
consistently provided an exemplary environment for students of all
communities and faiths to live, study and play together in total amity
and friendship.
The education imparted here and the setting in which it is offered,
emphasize the reservoir of shared values and traditions which are
certainly strong enough to hold our nation together. The friendships
that are forged here cut across narrow divisions and stay throughout
life. Healthy attitudes of sharing, of partnership and solidarity, which
unify the school community, must be inculcated in the formative period
of childhood and early youth.
This represents our major national challenge, as well, today. With
the eradication of terrorism and the dawn of a stable peace, we have the
opportunity, after almost a quarter of a century, to put our country on
the path of rapid economic and social development. The need of the hour
is inclusivity, in every sense of the word. We have today the capability
to exploit without any hindrance the natural advantages of our country
and the unique calibre of our human resources and we must ensure that
the benefits are enjoyed in the fullest measure by all our citizens.
There can be no better preparation for this than the training which is
provided within the walls of a school.
Education, whatever its range and depth, can offer a wholesome
foundation for life only if it is under-pinned by a scale of values and
a sense of proportion. Our faith and spiritual commitment, whatever it
may be, is the sheet anchor of our behaviour and the decisions we make
in life. A mere body of knowledge, imparted in a vacuum, without the
strength of deep-rooted convictions, and devoid of focus on right and
wrong, can never provide a basis for the formation of character. It can
only lead to a cynical outlook on life. This is why religious
instruction, and an atmosphere suitable for it, form an essential part
of a complete education.
Shiranthi and I have involved ourselves actively in the academic and
sports activities of our sons and followed with enthusiasm their
progress through the College.
Even at the busiest of times I have considered it important to attend
the College prize giving and many sports activities to applaud and
encourage not only our own children but all their peers who justly
celebrate their success. I believe, all parents, whatever the demands on
their time, should share fully the joys, the sorrows and the aspirations
of their children as they move forward through the different stages of
their education.
I believe that it is the duty of every school to impart to its
students education which is of a holistic nature. Education is a total
process directed towards the development of mind, body and character.
Not only academic achievement but sports, extra curricular activities
and cultural activities must consistently receive in-depth attention in
the curriculum of every educational institution. In the field of sports,
a school must foster an attitude which encourages a team spirit,
sustained by the give and take of companionship, in confronting
challenges.
One of the significant weaknesses of our education system today,
which our government is in earnest about rectifying, is the current
emphasis on rote learning. Education is not about absorbing, retaining
and reproducing extensive volumes of factual material. That destroys the
spirit of independent inquiry which is the central purpose or the core
of education.
Highest educational standards
This school has had the good fortune to be served over the decades by
dedicated teachers who sought no other reward than the success and
fulfilment of the students who passed through their hands. In a world
dominated by mercenary values, theirs is a shining example and a source
of inspiration to us all.
Just two months ago, we mourned the demise of Deshamanya Kalasuri
Arisen Ahubudu. His life and work embody the qualities I have in mind.
Together with several of his peers who shared his passion, he devoted
himself, with neither promise nor expectation of material reward, to
enriching the lives of his students and preparing them for the journey
of life.
This is a voyage of discovery in which, on every day in school, the
student would learn something new to deepen his understanding, sharpen
his instincts and broaden his horizons. It is a journey in the course of
which he would acquire the courage to conquer himself and the world. It
is also, Your Grace, an enterprise in which he would be trained to
abandon selfishness in pursuit of the goal of collective achievement.
The House system, which many schools adopt, and which is a
characteristic of life at S Thomas’, and team games provide a strong
impetus to this focus on community, as opposed to self. I note with
satisfaction that your school offers a number of prizes which are
awarded not for individual accomplishment but for the collective
excellence of a group.
Cultural identity
A school must not be a place to safe guard privilege. The extreme
pressure for admission to all grades at S Thomas’ is a clear indication
of the ability you have shown to maintain the highest educational
standards over the years. Many of our leading government schools are
under extreme pressure to admit children beyond their capacity.
Your school, I am glad, has also taken care to ensure, by means of an
extensive scheme of bursaries, scholarships and other arrangements, that
talented children from less affluent backgrounds are not denied access
to the quality education you offer. I would particularly like to pay
tribute to this refreshing concern for equity and social justice.
I strongly believe that quality education, to be complete, must be
founded on the bedrock of cultural identity. A mind, however cultivated,
but without cultural moorings, is pushed around by wind and wave. A man
without awareness of the well-springs of his culture is little more than
a robot.
Although the world is rapidly becoming a global village, there is a
natural instinct in all of us to search for our cultural roots. I think
this is, in essence, a hunt for security, within our minds and hearts,
in the midst of great uncertainty and instability.
Cultural identity is an oasis, fertile and self-renewing, without
which we would have to build our lives and our careers in the arid sand
of the desert. It is a matter of deep satisfaction to me that, as my
motherland was saved from the grip of terror, the humblest home in the
land expressed their feelings of dignity and pride by hoisting the
national flag. I have noticed, whenever I attended functions, whether in
cities or towns or in the rural heartland, Sri Lankans without any
difference, sing the national anthem with a new spirit in their voice.
I was greatly heartened to observe, at the recent ordination of His
Grace Diloraj Canagasabey as the new Bishop of Colombo, which I had the
honour to attend, that cultural rites and practices, indigenous to our
country formed a feature of the service. This establishes, I have no
doubt, an immediate link with members of the congregation and enhances
the relevance and value of the experience as an integral part of their
lives and their faith. Indeed, I am convinced that the learning
experience, our religious faith and the cultural traditions which
represent our legacy, are all woven into a seamless web.
I felicitate today not only those among you who have brought joy to
your parents and families by carrying away prizes and awards which
recognize excellence, but also the wider student community and, even
more so, your dedicated teachers who have created the enabling
environment which makes these achievements possible.
I wish you all a prosperous future. |