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by Prof. Bertram Bastiampillai

A properly organised system of schools such as government establishments, schools run with grants-in-aid and subject to inspection, and private fee levying schools existed in the 19th and 20th centuries in Sri Lanka. Grants-in-aid schools, mostly under missionary management, also levied fees. By 1961 many of these schools came under government authority in spite of the protests, especially of the Roman Catholic Mission, which ran a number of popular, leading schools.

Villages had schools using mainly the indigenous languages and poorly equipped. Other schools often in urban centres, taught more in English and students sat London or Cambridge Examinations, and afterwards local examinations from around 1940s.

Under the Second State Council and when the popular Education Minister C. W. W. Kannangara in the late nineteen forties introduced free education into schools, except privately run institutions, village schools were improved and increased. Local languages, Sinhalese and Tamil were more emphasised than English. Following the Sinhala language being made the official medium in 1956 after Independence in 1961 under the headship of Mrs. Bandaranaike, schools were nationalised. The Roman Catholic Mission, as remarked, particularly opposed unsuccessfully the change. By 1960 even university education, more so in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities had to be conducted in Sinhala or Tamil.

This step took its toll in that learning in English suffered and students could not aspire to gain higher education in English. Only the few rich in society sent children to the higher educational establishments abroad for learning in English while others found themselves comparatively disadvantaged.

State outlook

But with the passage of years, and a State outlook on liberalisation in enterprise growing positive, a new set of institutions imparting primary, secondary and pre-school education multiplied. These establishments took the name of "International Schools" and were not registered or reckoned officially by the Department of Education as educational institutions.

Additionally there cropped up a number of institutes and academies committed to teaching Computing and Information Technology as there was a demand for learning these disciplines. Of the International Schools, computer and information technology institutes, Colombo is favoured by a few good quality prominent establishments while in a few outer urban centres such as Kandy one or two quality institutions were founded. But such leading institutions were exceptional.

Generally, the deficiencies in International Schools and computing and information technology institutes stem from want of adequate space for children to move around, class rooms are too close to one another and uninsulated from noise and disturbance, libraries are ill stocked, particularly in useful journals like the 'Economist', computer laboratories and science laboratories wanting in chemicals and instruments and poorly stocked, so that only a very few could gain knowledge of experiments and trials.

But as a contrast there are a few fine institutions which are remarkably well provided with the needs to cater to students, especially for those preparing for London or Cambridge Examinations, and are well-housed and well-supplied with educational aids, be they books, computers or scientific equipment. For an International School or institute to thrive the administrative body of Directors or Governors should be correctly informed and able to ensure that a just ethos prevails. The management should emphasise ethical behaviour in the teaching and auxiliary staff and Management Boards should be impartial and not act on "sneaked" information gathered from sycophants. Directors should know before they comment or criticise, and must not renege on decisions.

Teachers should not consider the students in their assessment according to their financial worth. Anybody in the management of an international educational institution should not encourage conveying of tales about teachers' weaknesses and inadequacies because this only breeds the pernicious propagation of falsehoods.

Inefficient management

It is essential that anyone in management should not tolerate childish habit of "tale bearing". Management must be able to distinguish honesty, integrity and, above all, understand that the person on the spot, principal or deputy, knows best. Directors or Governors should not get either principals or deputies to dissipate energy and time in inquiries and then do nothing once the outcome of inquiries are conveyed. Those at the spot involved in running an international institution can better diagnose inefficient management when appeals for needs of an institution to be supplied with are even not answered by the directors.

One cannot conduct an educational establishment when one is devoid of capital and a remote occasional partial supply of wants from a distance never satisfied. It allows the educational establishment to languish in impoverishment. This naturally irritates parents who pay, the blame is heaped upon principal and deputies however.

Principals of an institution of learning or their deputies have to, even at the cost of losing cheap popularity, take firm stands in enforcing teachers to conform to ethical practices, stimulate efficient work output, and not pamper the whims of poor standard teachers. It is such personnel who invariably carry tales. No director in management should encourage tale bearing of a teacher or parent since they as directors can visit the institutions and learn for themselves the true and the untrue state of affairs.

It is easy to hear and speak out but it is best to know and speak out. Those responsible personnel in management should not rely on tales but should visit the school and examine the credibility of gossip carried by discontented staff members.

Furthermore, any accusation levelled against a teacher or any other staff member of the school founded on hearsay should be checked by a Director or Governor if he is worthy of his salt. It is wrong and unfair to deny the right of being heard when one of the school's staff members is alleged of commission of a misdeed. It is all the more wrong to shout down a right of reply as it only proves the ancient adage empty vessels sound most.

Management must assist the principal and his deputy in improving the functioning of the educational establishment rather than invite "sneaking" and then unjustly criticise the school and its immediate administration or those running it. It is easy to hold on to outmoded and antiquated views which have now been superseded by more methodical arrangements. Principals and deputy principals should not and cannot answer the unannounced or "never arranged" calls on the school by parents at their convenient or leisure. Even wiles or guile should not mislead those who are prudent and worthy enough to man a board of management of an international educational establishment. No principal or deputy principal or staff member can be at beck and call to answer parents with naive queries.

Yet another serious problems that vexes authorities responsible for immediate running of the International school like the principal or the deputy is a lack of funds except in the very few better International Schools which belong to a difference class.

The turnover of principals in certain institutions have been so bad that some International Schools have used over five principals in around ten years, and venues too have shifted often. Change of pillows do not cure headaches. Naturally parents question these confidence forgetting measures. Principals and deputies cannot answer that which only the management should explain. When funds are unavailable parents' expectations and required standards cannot be met. The principal and deputy have the unenviable task if defending poor management. This is not easy or practicable.

International Schools that are forced to importunately solicit funds from parents by diverse methods grow unpopular. Principals and deputies then have to bear the burden of blame. Good management or directors must acquaint themselves that principal and deputies often shield shortcomings in an International School arising from lack of money and the sad consequences on the state of the school regards educational equipment, its poor upkeep and unaffordability to update the institution. Parents who know little of learning or how schools are run blame the principal or deputy in the school for want of accessibility to the Management Board. The directors must not elude but explain to parents. Principals are helpless.

Facilities

It is good if International Schools have to conform to at least a desirable minimum standard regarding site, space, staff and facilities decided by the Principals' Association. Otherwise the malaise that envelopes poor quality International Schools and blame from paying parents will escalate with a mushrooming of International Schools now.

The association of Principals of International Schools is the best element to prescribe norms and standards for governing International Schools than Directors or Governors mostly ill-informed and poorly acquainted with education or schools and of the problems they confront with barging in parents who pay or at times do not.

A few International Schools however are well conducted and those who hold sway over them to counsel is needed. Loud voiced directors should not be voluble over occasional meetings but more active in studying school conditions and should not evade even the ill-informed parents. Principals or deputies wish no interference and have enough work and responsibilities.

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