Letters to the Editor
View(s):The pitfalls of playing politics with education
Unequivocal is the fact that in Sri Lanka, year by year, youth unemployment is growing. The doorway to youth employment, both locally and overseas, appears to be semi-closed than ajar. The highest rate of unemployment is in the age groups of GCE A/Level and above. The causative factor of un-employability is the ‘paucity of skills to match employability’.
In my view, the principal hindering factor in imparting knowledge for acquisition of technical skills is lined with the lack of English language education in the school education system in Lanka. This, no doubt was a spin-off of political foolhardiness, for which not only the egocentric politicos but also the foolhardy party-supporters must accept the blame.
Readers be watchful: politicians, absolutely shortsighted, nonetheless shrewd at ‘vote sucking’ are here to stay! They and their buddies are up to it again! One vociferously announced giving tabs to schoolchildren and teachers perhaps forgetful that he uttered the same promise during the 2015 pre-election era but didn’t do it. True, it is an unequivocal fact that computer literacy is a prerequisite nowadays to gain technical skills efficiently, effectively and profitably. Deplorably, the political guru is ignorant that a tab (or an iPad) is certainly not the aid required for school kids to acquire fundamental computer literacy! He should, even at this late age, learn to obtain guidance from subject specialists prior to utterances and decision-making.
In my experience, the ideal type of computer to learn computing is the desktop computer (cheaper) or the laptop (costly). It is a fact that, ‘touch typing’ is the proper way to input text and numeric data into a computer. Touch typing minimises hours wasted at the computer desk and saves hours towards other productive work. The tab with the one finger operated latent touchscreen keyboard is not the ideal aid. In fact, a computer room in a school with few desktop computers, set up at a lower cost, would promote the schoolchildren to use computers for appropriate and better learning, including skill learning later on.
Therefore, voters must know that, at a time, when Sri Lankans are underrated for technical competency – hence deprived of jobs in the local and foreign job market, the decision makers should be knowledgeable, well informed and wise to regain lost value systems in the country. The voter has a bounden responsibility to assess the parliamentarians in the queue and not just the party symbol or colour of the flag.
Dr. Susil W. Gunasekera Via e mail
Recalling Thomas Cook’s role in Ceylon’s fledgling tourism industry
The demise of the UK travel company Thomas Cook should be greeted in Sri Lanka with sadness. The firm played an important role in launching the Sri Lankan tourist industry. Its 1929 guide gave the following description of the island:
‘Ceylon – the Pearl of the Orient – is unsurpassed for the beauty and range of its landscape, scenery and for its climate. Situated some four hundred miles north of the equator, the climate in the southern and lowland area is warm, but not uncomfortably so, for its warmth is tempered by a genial breeze. Further inland the land rises in a series of mountain ranges which have a climate similar to that of the autumn season in England. From these the landscapes are magnificent. Midway between these two areas is the ancient capital, Kandy, a beautiful town full of historic interest.
“In Colombo, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in the Hill country are first-class hotels providing accommodation for visitors at moderate rates. Ceylon is very rapidly becoming, not merely a place for a hurried call by visitors, but a holiday resort. For those interested in archaeology, the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are unfailing sources of pleasure and study. The system of irrigation, built up by generations of Sinhalese, whose civilization is indicated in their ancient cities, surpasses anything of the kind in the world’.
Thomas Cook is no more but Sri Lanka will continue to enchant visitors for generations to come.
Dr R. P. Fernando UK
Anderson Road Dehiwala: A fatality waiting to happen
We moved in to Anderson Road, Kalubowila just a few months ago. The environment of our new home is superb – the neighbours quiet and friendly. But Anderson Road is a virtual death-trap for the pedestrian. It is a terrible nightmare that poses a real threat to the lives of the residents and their children.
This road must be about 10-15 feet wide in this very residential area. Sadly, however, the residents are unable to walk on the road without running the risk of being mowed down by some frenzied driver due to the inordinate number of vehicles that the Police divert onto this “short-cut”. Not only is the traffic congestion on this road unbearable, the Police even allow vehicles as large as excavators , staff buses and trucks transporting gas to drive through this 10-15 foot roadway!
As residents living on this road we should have the right and the possibility to walk on this road without fearing for our lives, but that is impossible. Many are the times when I together with others have escaped being knocked down by some unthinking driver while walking on the very edge of the road. In fact I have been hit by side-mirrors on two occasions. Frequently- especially during peak hours- we are forced to straddle the storm drain that runs alongside the road or step in to a gateway or some pathway to avoid being hit by vehicles.
Anderson Road is not made to handle such a huge volume of traffic, and as such it is a fatality waiting to happen. This is unfair to us who are living down this road and it is time the authorities took some urgent measures to right this injustice and remove this danger to our lives and the lives of our children who walk this road regularly.
A.N. Perera Dehiwela
How many more jumbos must die for someone to wake up?
The death of eight jumbos is a sad tale of utter negligence and incompetence on the part of those responsible from the Minister downwards. Aren’t these areas protected round the clock? How did poachers enter forbidden areas?
Toxins, they say, instead of calling it poison to cover the true poisoning, using technical jargon. How long will this bluff go on and ruin our wildlife and forests while those responsible make hay?
Tudor Wickremasinghe Colombo 9