'Student-teacher bond should be strengthened'

The socio-cultural environment needed for the emergence of the 'illustrious schoolteacher' has been firmly established and in this context the eternal bond between the student and the teacher should be strengthened,said President's Parliamentary Affairs Secretary Kumarasiri Hettige.

He was addressing a ceremony to welcome newly enrolled teacher trainees at the Sports Stadium of the Nilwala College of Education in Matara recently.

Public discussions on educational matters has reached a high point and criticism as well as allegations are pouring in from every directions, he said. Baseless allegations are also directed against the authorities and most of these problems and issues were there over the years. Problems created over the past few decades have become complicated and parents, teachers and the government as well as the students are forced to suffer due to these errors of omission and commission. These problems had been in low key as the country had been enveloped by the scourge of terrorism.

"During the last three decades, we heard only the sounds of bombs and gunfire and the wailing of the victims of terror. The number of lives lost is immense. President Mahinda Rajapaksa freed us from this catastrophe. The country is facing an era of rapid development and this is not limited to economic development. Moral and social values that had deteriorated need to be raised to former standards," he said.

Referring to the educational system in the country Hettige questioned whether it suits the present needs of the country. There are 10,000 government schools with a student population of more than four million. The number of teachers is 216,000. The student teacher ratio is one to eighteen which is a high standard compared with developed countries in the world.

"There are 18 Colleges of Education in Sri Lanka and about 3,000 teachers graduate from these colleges annually. Instant solutions are not possible in the case of any problem. The social and ethical problems in the country have to be addressed before finding solutions for other issues. Family life of the citizens should be restored to the standards that prevailed earlier. A free and happy society cannot be built without raising the standards of individual families.

"Future of the nation is dependent on the conduct of teachers to a great extent. Teachers of the by-gone era had devoted their lives for the uplift of the younger generation. The present day breakdown in discipline and compassion in society has to be arrested soon and measures should be introduced to restore good relationships between teachers and students.

"The teaching staff in the school system as well as in the university system are more interested in their own welfare rather than unitedly restoring discipline of students. Divisions among them would have a bad effect on students. The government has understood this problem and the President has paid due attention in this regard.

Only about 20,000 students are admitted to the university system. There should be alternative avenues for other students. Teachers could lead students on the correct path in facing such challenges in life as they are able to gauge intrinsic capabilities of students, Kumarasiri Hettige said.