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Morning Spice by
Ginger What's happened to the luxury buses? There seem to be less of them and they also appear to run less frequently. Ginger misses them in more than one sense. I am by no means jubilant about the prediction I made because it was done with concern. I said sometime ago that the system of charging a flat rate for any distance a passenger went was bad policy. It rouses a justifiable resentment in many and the service itself is affected by the bad publicity it gets as a result of it all Ginger may be wrong when he says that there are less such buses on the road. It may just his bad luck or a coincidence that when he is at a halt he fails to see them. But Ginger maintains that the present system will not help to get more patronage or could it be that the number of such buses appear to have dwindled because of breakdowns. I wouldn't be surprised considering the way the standard buses are maintained. Nobody seems to bother even to dust the seats. The other day Ginger was seated gingerly on a seat where the back rest had fallen off. When he pointed this out to the conductor he merely muttered something incoherently and started giggling inanely like a moron. No wonder some depots find it difficult to make ends meet. I also feel that smaller 35 seaters would be more paying for the luxury service. Exercise machines The trouble these days is that work and social programmes leave one with partly any time for the other activities. Going for a job, or a game of tennis seems to be just out of the question for some. The next best thing most people could do is to invest in an exercise machine so that you could burn up those calories that will widen your waist in time to come. What kind of an exercise machine should you buy? This has become a pertinent question because a recent study has revealed that all exercise machines do not burn out calories at the same rate. The tread mill does it the fastest. Next comes the stair-stepper. This is followed by rowing and cross country machines. Bikes come last, according to this report. They eat cats! We have heard of dogs being eaten further east. Of course, the Chinese eat almost any living thing and whatever they eat won't surprise us much but a town in Argentina has certainly raised a few eyebrows. The people of Rosaria are supposed to be skinning and eating cats. Actually national TV showed children skinning and eating a cat, a couple of years ago. This was when there was a bit of a economic recession that hit that industrial town. The people in that town said that all they ate were eels, tortoises and snake. In desperation they ate cat and parents were wondering whether they would have to give their children dog flesh if things did not improve. University reforms by Prof. Ranjit Ruberu The recently issued University Reforms Proposals deserve discreet discussion before implementation as national policies for the reorganisation of university education in the country. The Committee responsible for these recommendations deserve commendation for some of the innovative measures that have been suggested as reforms to the existing system. If implemented properly these measures may give a new look to university education in Sri Lanka. Since the introduction of the British University System in the early 1920s under colonial rule, only adhoc changes were introduced from time to time and this perhaps is the first occasion policy decision on university education at national level was ever attempted. It is therefore very necessary to see that the reforms to be introduced will meet the national needs of university education for the country. These reforms are supposed to be on the basis of deliberations by the committee that took the responsibility of looking into the problem and suggesting reforms. Yet, several significant omissions evident in the proposed reforms raise the doubt whether the committee has given full attention to some of the nationally important issues and current problems that affect university education in the country. One such conspicuous omission is the apparent disregard for English in the University curriculum which the committee has endeavoured to reform. Whether this is a sinister move to deprive university students' full competency in English which today has become a privilege of a few, or whether it is a genuine omission, will be known only to the architects of the reforms proposals. However, it is not too late to remedy this omission if the public and the authorities concerned think seriously about it. This has to be done if university reforms are to be for national interest. The role of English in the education of the nation's children is outstandingly recognised and much public opinion has been expressed about the indispensability of English as a component of university education. Having experienced the many disadvantages some generations of university graduates have been subject to in not having competency in English, there is now consensus of opinion on the importance of making English a supplementary language for university education. Regrettably, the proposed reforms have not given enough attention to so important matter. Just making English compulsory from Year One in school can be only an eye-wash and lip service as it is always happening over the years. Over three decades of university teaching in the swabasha media Sinhala and Tamil, has brought to light the shortcomings in the exclusive use of these languages for university education. Although Swabasha media are needed to teach university courses in almost all subject disciplines, the lack of a foreign language like English as a supplementary medium for university education has brought about serious lowering of standards, in particular the quality. The insular outlook of raw graduates who pass out from the universities as well as low academic standards remain undisputed. Undergraduates not being given the opportunity to use a foreign language like English are forced to limit their knowledge only to the sources available solely in the national languages. When compared to undergraduate students in the outside world including many of the developing countries, Sri Lankan undergraduates remain at a disadvantage for no fault of their own, but to the myopic policies of university education planners in the country and to the lowering of standards of English in the schools. It is also known and accepted that the Intensive English Teaching Programme done in the universities has not achieved the desired results in raising the English competency of undergraduates in any adequate manner. The fault lies not in the staff who teach such courses or in the students who follow such courses, but on the fact that making undergraduates competent in use of English through intensive courses is only stop-gap when school English teaching is unsatisfactory. Foundation for the learning of English as a foreign language has to be laid from the inception of school education. It has to be done in a systematic manner with teachers specially trained for the teaching of English as a foreign language able to use special language teaching methods. In the absence of such teaching the majority of children entering the universities find the mastering of the English language a herculean task. Here again the children coming from English speaking affluent homes are at an advantage. A causative factor that has aggravated the situation is the attitude of the authorities concerned who show an indifference to the valuable place English could play in university education. Admission to universities is decided solely on the GCE advance level performance in only academic subjects learnt in swabasha and students having no competency in the English language could enter a university if the required aggregate of marks is obtained. They are supposed to follow an Intensive Course in English to make up but this has proved a failure. No attempt has so far been made to enlighten the school children about the need for them to have at least a basic competency in the use of English as a supplementary medium for university education. They discover the ill-effects of such deficiency only some time after entering the university. Planners of university education have also not thought of the seriousness of this problem for some reason or other and it is the undergraduate students who have to face the brunt of it specially, if after the degree they want higher qualifications abroad. The unemployment of swabasha graduates has become a serious or even grave national problem. The dilemma faced by these graduates when they seek employment is again lack of competency in English. Having received a university education in swabasha only and not having had the opportunity in the course of university education to use English as a supplementary medium these graduates remain condemned for no fault of theirs but because of the existing system. Having witnessed this inadequacy over the years, the reformers of university education have not still made any effort to remedy it. Even the current reforms proposed have apparently taken no notice of it although it is a golden opportunity for removing this anomaly. It is no secret that university academics agree on the need of competency in English for undergraduates if they are to get the benefit of a good university education. English is now recognised as a medium of special importance for university education. Access to modern knowledge and skills in every discipline be it science, medicine, agriculture, engineering, or even the study of languages, humanities, and social sciences, is readily available primarily in English for Sri Lankan students although other languages like French, German or Japanese could also become useful. In the planning of university education it is most unfortunate that policy makers have failed to recognise the indispensability of the English language and do not make appropriate provisions in the interest of generations of university students to come. Even those who attain academic distinction through swabasha media have yet to depend on English medium research and publications and expertise to gain more proficiency. Many Swabasha graduates after graduation spend painful years of learning English as adults to meet such a need and make their education prospects better for the reason that they have missed such an opportunity as undergraduates in the university. It is therefore an essential requirement in the planning of university education to ensure the using of English as a supplementary medium through out university studentship. Any recommendation short of such provision will result in a drastic failure of the university system. The re-training of university graduates is being attempted as a remedial measure to promote competency in English. This, however, is a time consuming and costly arrangement also causing undesirable frustration to which graduates who have already spent three to four years in the university can be subject to. The remedy lies not in such a procedure, but in the actual task of using English as a supplementary medium in the university and stepping upquality in schools. The proposed university reforms have suggested significant changes to the current university curriculum. Many of the proposed curricular reforms are worth and commendable. If properly implemented they could result in a new concept of university education falling in line with more recent trends already found in universities elsewhere. They could also meet the challenges of the time in Sri Lanka and result in a better organised and planned university education. The proposed university curricular reforms however, fall far short of a national need of the time namely, to respect the place given to English in the university curriculum. The policy on the use of English in university education has to be defined clearly and effectively. It should be a policy of teaching English as a supplementary language medium to all university students and also making English a compulsory subject to be passed at the final examination. It should not be English for communication alone but for its cultural and value content. This will ensure an acceptable standard of English for graduates who pass out of the universities in the country. Graduates having such competency in English will find no obstacle in getting employed, or pursuing research studies at post-graduate level and even finding employment in countries abroad. While the lack of such provision in the proposed university reforms is most lamentable it also reflects a failure in meeting one of the most wanted national needs in university education. These reforms could also remain only an eye-wash of university education as it happened on many similar occasions in the past. Japanese hospitality and credit cards The credit card issue of Minister Mangala Samaraweera has raised a big stink. The Minister no doubt will find ways and means of defending himself however bad the brief is. The most recent expostulation by the Minister as reported in 'The Island' of May 29, 1998 is (a) that it is not illegal to use the credit card facility (b) that it was something that was offered to him, (c) that he will continue to use it, and (d) that there are government circulars permitting such facilities to be provided to Ministers and officials. Re (a) -- it is certainly not illegal if considered in the context of the availability of legislation on credit cards and directly prohibiting it. The point is whether existing legislation cannot be invoked on the basis of mis-use of official position and graft or at the minimum contemptible. If as reported, the payment has been effected by the Japanese official through his personal account, the matter is w0rse confounded. Telecom was not privatised to continue with the same official interference. On the contrary, privatisation for greater elasticity and manouvreability for sound and expeditious management does not encompass a licence for Telecom or its officials to go beyond accepted norms, parameters, procedures and practices. What the Minister propounds about government rates being unrealistic is correct. That is precisely why during the previous regime Ministers were permitted to claim reimbursement of actual costs on hotel bills and entertainment -- of course, on the basis of bills authenticated and furnished. For this purpose, an advance was given to be settled on return based on a travelling claim. A carte-blanche facility without documents and without a travelling claim can never be resorted to from whatever source it comes. After all, Telecom has government funds impart. Re (b) -- what is offered need not be meekly accepted if it is beyond the realm of propriety as known by a reasonable person. It can be a dangerous proposition affecting the image of the person accepting and more importantly the government. Re (c) -- this is an important matter of policy affecting the whole cabinet of ministers and officials too (now that some circulars are said to exist). Where is the government going to draw the line? How is it to ensure accountability? Moreover, why should only one minister or some ministers enjoy the privilege over others who are not fortunate to have privatised ventures under them. Does this also mean that officials could with gay abandon meet bills of ministers out of their personal accounts in anticipation of (or without) Board approval? Boards of Directors, themselves will be placed in a very awkward position. Regarding (d), the relevant government circulars should be quoted in fairness to the minister and the public so that if there are questionable areas government itself can possibly have second thoughts. One wonders whether such circulars can ever be produced. Madam President, the sword that is not used for war -- is it preserved to cut jak?" I. M. Dr. S. K. Vadivale writing recently in a newspaper says: "Buddha was born a Hindu, lived a Hindu and died a Hindu."This only shows his ignorance of the biography of Gotama the Buddha and his great teachings. No doubt Buddha was born to Hindu parents of royal blood, but the moment he became enlightened he totally rejected all that was in Hinduism and founded his new religion of Buddhism which repudiated the idea of God and the soul and rebirth. He also revolted against the evil caste system and the accompanying human degradation. Thus, anyone can see that Buddhism has nothing in common with Hinduism which is social fascism. Buddha's teachings are based on pure Reason and Humanism without any distinction of sex and devoid of dogmas. Again Dr. V. slips into another mental aberration by dividing India into three regions: "The Hindus of the northern part of India are Aryans, those of the north-eastern region are Mongoloid Dravidians and those of the south are Dravidians."If he calls the people of north-east India 'Mongoloid Dravidans', he should call those of the northern region 'Aryanised Dravidians.' Perhaps Dr. V. does not know that the Aryans came as nomadic tribes without any culture and got married to Dravidian women and settled in the North. In order to subjugate the Dravidians who outnumbered them, they introduced the caste system and placed themselves on top of this pecking order. If Dr. V. is not sure of the facts, he should keep silent instead of making ludicrous statements. "If in doubt leave it out." Yal N.
Alagan Local manufacturers of consumer goods are clearly one jump ahead of the GST pundits who predicted lower prices of some commodities and marginal increases of others. Take as an example a cake of a brand of toilet soap in common use produced locally by a former GOBU. Under 12% BTT, pre GST, this was price marked at Rs. 12 and marketed in a plain brown box. With the imposition of GST at 12%, this same cake of soap is now price marked up to Rs. 15, a 25% increase to the consumer. It is now marketed in a fancy multi-coloured throw-away box which carries the legend, but details the same weight and the same technical specifications of the cake of soap as printed on the former plain brown box in which this soap was priced at Rs.12 earlier. So obviously, the producer has foisted on the consumer the same cake of soap in a fancy throw-away box marked NEW and upped the price to the consumer by 25% under the guise of a GST price rise. With this trend, there will now be steep increases in most commonly used commodities, with producers claiming these to be new, special, super, extra, etc. and fleecing the ordinary consumer, escalating the COL still further. S. A.
Perera, As an incentive for youths to join the Army, every youth who opts to join the Army even as a trainee should be paid a minimum of Rs. 15,000 for a month (salary + all other non-pensionable allowances). To find funds for this high salary Bill I think a special tax from every employed person, businessman and pensioner should be levied. By implementing the above scheme not only a large number of youth will join the Army but even the deserters too will return to the Army. Dragging unwilling youths to the war front by way of conscription will definetely have a disastrous effect politically to the ruling party and to the country in general. R.
Gunatilake, Non-payment of interest on savings accounts I have been banking with a leading private sector bank for over three decades. However, recently I found that interest on my savings account has not been paid. Upon inquiry, I was told that due to new regulations, when there are over four withdrawals per month I won’t be entitled to interest and they conveniently put the blame on Central Bank regulations. I cannot understand how interest could be withheld when I have been maintaining over Rs. 35,000 in this account even though there had been more than four withdrawals. Furthermore, out of the usual withdrawals, four are in respect of loan deductions and standing orders favouring Insurers. I contacted Central Bank main office at the World Trade Centre building on telephone to obtain clarification on this and no one could tell me whether or not such instructions have in fact been given to banks. Would at least the Finance Ministry clarify why such regulations which discourages the savings habit have been introduced? J. B.
Fernando, Every time I travel in a private bus I remember M. H. Mohammed, (the minister who privatised the bus service,) for the agony I undergo. The worst thing the then UNP did was to hand over the bus service to the private sector. P. M.
Gunasekera, While the LTTE, with their suicide squads, are ever ready to sacrifice their lives for Eelam, our workers even in essential services are flexing their muscles to strike and incidentally help the LTTE by embarrassing the hard-pressed government and holding the whole nation to ransom. Patriotism, where art thou? Enough is enough. All strikes should be banned for the duration of the bloodiest war in the history of this country. Geo.
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