The Sunday Times as a national newspaper has spotlighted the defects in our educational system several times.
The exposure made at the Sunday Times Business Club as summarised and published in the Business Times on February 27 is very useful reading not only for those who are responsible for planning educational policies in this country but also for all those parents who have school going children.
Some of the startling revelations made at this discussion are worth repeating:
n Prof.S. Saundrasegaram, a retired Dean of the Faculty of Education of the University of Colombo, has stated that if tuition is reduced the children could lead healthier lives.
n Dr.Nilupul Perera, a Consultant Neurologist, has observed that people teach and learn to make the children a holistic person and at the end there must be a holistic educational system. But the answer is that there is no holistic educational system today. His statement on how the children lose about 10 to 20% of their brain cells after 10 years due to our faulty educational system is just startling.
n Dr. Athula Ranasinghe, Economics Dept. Head of the University of Colombo, had observed how his child in Grade 5 refused to go to school because she was unable to draw a tree and its changing shadow every hour due to her having to attend tuition classes.
Another speaker has said that in today’s structure a Grade 6 student is compelled to know a tremendous lot about biodiversity which should normally suffice when he begins his Advance Level education.
The Business Times editorial on this day had succinctly summed up the main issues presented at this seminar which too is worth reading. I thank the Sunday Times for this invaluable contribution to society.
V.K.Wijeratna
Makola
|
E-mail
