Budget: Committee Stage — 13th Day

Votes of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education

"Scholarship exam should not impose undue burdens on children"

S. Rajaratnam (CWC, Kandy district) — Around 4,000 teacher vacancies in the plantation sector were filled and the facilities there were improved to some degree. We are grateful to the minister for granting our requests. I also request the minister to establish several national schools in the plantation sector. There are more teacher vacancies to be filled in the plantation sector.

There aren't enough Tamil translators to provide services to the 30% Tamil student population in the universities.

Kesaralal Gunesekara (DUNLF, National list) The teachers’ salary scheme was improved by the government. But the quality of service of some is inadequate. In some schools the teachers attendence is low. I suggest that a scheme to guage the quality of teachers’ service be implemented soon.

Hostel facilities for teachers has become a necessity as school buildings. The funds for such activities should be collected with the MPs assistance in the affected areas, and I think there should be a planned approach.

Karunasena Kodituwakku (UNP, Colombo district) The number of university entrants to the bio-science and physical science streams should be increased at a greater pace than in the Arts stream. As engineering and medical graduates and graduates in the allied fields are more in demand than for arts graduates.

The cut-off marks scheme is puzzling to some students who question how some areas were given low cut-off marks. The students should be given an opportunity to select the university of their choice.

I request that the aptitude test be revoked as I believe that it is unfair on the poorer sections of the student population who can't afford even a newspaper.

A co-ordinating institution to look after all the graduates who seek employment and those who have secured employment to serve their needs. The cabinet paper presented by Minister Jeyraj Fernandopulle on the university graduates unemployment, has ended up in the refuse heap.

Upali Amarasiri (UNP — Galle district) said: Quality of education in our areas should be improved. This will help to reduce the demand for national schools.

The work in the Examination Department should be stepped up. A/L results should be released in one and a half months. This would save the valuable time wasted by students awaiting results.

"Sri Lanka Nidahas Guru Sangamaya" is very influential and this has led to political bias in the promotion of teachers and other undue interferences in the education work in some areas.

R. M. Ratnayaka (UNP, Badulla district) The scholarship exam should not impose undue burdens on children. At the tender age of 10 years most students might suffer from a low self esteem due to the high standards set in this exam. It is unfair to brand students who fail to acquire the high marks to pass, as backward in studies. Establish a system similar to the A/L marking system where the pass mark is more reachable.

You should also rethink the decision to close schools that don't have over 50 students as this would mostly affect rural schools.

Imbalances in teachers and principal's salaries give rise to undue demands.

R. M. Pulendran (UNP, Vanni district) said: Circulars sent to Tamil schools are in Sinhala. There is also a shortage of Tamil principals.

Universities in Tamil areas should include fields of study that will produce graduates required in these areas.

Dinesh Dodangoda (UNP, National list) said: The teachers should be a contented lot if the quality of education is to be improved. Political interferences of teacher appointments and transfers are causing disillusionment among teachers that is conducive for the deterioration of standards.

M. L. A. M. Hizbulla (Deputy Minister of Posts and Telecomunications) The three year estate management and valuation course is conducted in Sinhala in first and second years and in English in the final year. It is not conducted in Tamil in the first years, thus depriving the Tamil students of a chance. I suggest that the course be conducted in English only or both Sinhala and Tamil be made the language of instruction.

I am bringing forth this qustion for both the Education Ministry's and UGC's information and action.

The Muslim section of the National Education Commission should be activated in the North-East and the required man power, fund and equipment should be provided to it.

Outside North-East action should be taken to improve the education of the Muslim students.

You must fill the teachers' vacancies in the East. They should be filled as far as possible from qualified persons from the area itself.

Joseph Michael Perera (UNP Gampaha district) said: I like to make certain representations about Catholic schools.

The member reads a statement made by Badi Udin Mahmud about facilities to preserve the religious background of schools taken over in 1962.

The minister must give his thoughts to the fact that the Catholic schools of this country are increasingly losing their religious identity.

There was an understanding that out of the school buildings taken over, those that are not in use should be handed back to the church. I appeal to the Minister to hand back any buildings which are not in use and are not yet handed back.

Compensation has not been made in respect of some land taken over from the church.

I am not asking the government to hand back totally schools that were taken over. What I want is to preserve their religious charactor and environment.

There is also such outcry from the Buddhists about Buddhist schools.

Minister Richard Pathirana: A Director has been appointed to co-ordinate with the church and the Ministry of Education on the implementation of the matters of the understanding.

Joseph Michael Perera: Today politics have contributed to the deterioration of conditions. There is a case of deliberately knocking down a principal of a school. He now walks in crutches. There is also a case where a Principal has been stabbed on his head. A Principal has committed suicide out of frustration.

You must not allow politics to ruin schools. It is very dangerous. You as the Minister wanted to keep Rev. Brother Principal of the St. Anthony's College. But he had to go because of political pressures.

Lionel Gunawardane (PA — Gampaha district) said: Our system of education should be adopted to the demands of the emerging new millennium.

I must thank the government and the minister for giving attention to the urgent necessity and to introduce reforms.

The educational reforms were first tried in the Gampaha District. Teachers numbering about 8000, were given fresh training. The programme cost about Rs. 40 million.

Everybody were speaking and writing about the need for educational reforms but nobody dared put his hand into the task, until President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga stepped in.

The educational reforms will be in full swing in the entire island next year.

A. H. M. Fowzie Minister of Transport and Highways said: The year 1998 will go down in history as the year in which greatest efforts were taken to revitalise the education of the country.

In this time of rapid change Sri Lanka's educational system must change in keeping with the new demands.

Project investment on the proposed educational reforms exceeds Rs. 5 billion.

The Swedish government is providing assistance to develop plantation sector schools.

After late Badi-Uddin Mohmood, the only Minister who had done so much for the education of the Muslim student is Minister Richard Pathirana.

He has given me an open cheque. He gave everything I ask for to improve Muslim education, without hesitation.

Ali Zahir Moulana (UNP Batticaloa district) said: There is much talk about educational reforms etc. etc. but how much of it does reach the people of the North-East.

Please get the provincial director to cancel all the appointments made to higher posts in the North-Eastern Educational Administration, improperly.

Sycophants are being promoted to high posts on the wishes of certain deputy ministers, over the head of officers who are better qualified.

Students who passed out in 1996 and 1997, from the university affiliated English training institutions in Vavuniya and Trincomalee are awaiting appointments.

Appoint these persons to the schools in the Eastern province so that English could be taught from grade one as planned. Please also make the contractual appointment of English teachers now teaching in some schools.

A vice-chancellor should be appointed to the north-eastern university.

Renuka Herath (UNP — Nuwara Eliya district) said: The service of teachers joined in 1978 and 1979 is being counted from the date they completed their training. This is unfair. Service should be counted from the date of entry to service.

I agreed there should be reforms in the educational system. Educational reforms are needed to give equal access to everybody to the wealth of the country. Reforms should not affect adversely anyone.

By insisting on passes three science subjects for nurses trainees, you have effectively cut off the rural female from entering the profession. Likewise the qualifying test for admission to universities could lead to marginalising the students of less previleged rural areas.

Suranimala Rajapaksa (UNP, Gampaha district) Why is the government averse to schools with less than 50 students at a time you are trying to shift the education system from a teacher-based education system to a more student oriented one.

Have you provided adequate funds to activate the education reforms. Some schools in Gampaha district, where you initiated the primary education reforms this year, lack the necessary facilities required for the new education methods.

What steps will you take to disperse the excess number of qualified teachers concentrated in Colombo to areas that require more teachers. What is being done about the Teachers Authority? What is the standardisation you are trying to impose on the universities?

S. S. M. Abubaker (PA, Deputy Minister of Social Services) There are vacancies in the north eastern provinces for teachers. The areas that Tamil teachers get appointments does not have facilities for these teachers to stay. Please help the children of these areas to obtain an education next year, by filling the 11,000 shortage of teachers.

S. Sathasivam (CWC, Nuwara Eliya) The minister has helped to develop the education in the plantation areas. He realised that the plantation children were denied the right to education. We like to thank the minister on behalf of the Ceylon Workers Congress for his efforts.

Please establish a teacher training institution in our area. The plantation sector is backward in education and the intake of students from these areas are very low. I request the Minister to impose a low cut off mark for university entrance for our district as the facilities for education is inadequate.

Chandradasa Galappaththi (UNP — Ampara district) said: There are only three schools in the entire Ampara district where classes are conducted upto A/Level in science subjcts. Not a single student from Ampara has entered university for science and medical degrees in the recent past.

The only national school is in a very unsatisfactory condition. The Principal is demanding school fees upto year 2000 in a single payment from students sitting for G.C.E. A/Level. Has this been approved by the Ministry of Education.

Dr. Wishwa Warnapala, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education said: I would touch upon the proposed educational reforms only due to time constraints.

We cannot agree with the argument that the proposed reforms were not subjected to a public debate. The reforms and related problems have been discussed in minute detail by every institution under the university system. Therefore it has gone through an examination by most competent bodies.

Our main idea is to develop human resources through education.

Why have choosen to have three subjects only at the A/Levl examination. We have not had a student centred education in this country. What we have is a teacher centered education, which is hardly sufficient to meet the challenges of the changing world.

The fourth paper a student has to answer if he intends to enter universities is a general knowledge paper. The aptitude test is a misnomer.

We have tested a sample paper and over 70 percent of the student were successful. It cannot be otherwise in a real situation.

We will not drop the so-called aptitude paper.

W. J. M. Lokubandara (UNP — Badulla district) winding up for the Opposition said: We decided in 1993 to reduce the A/Level subjects to three. We also decided to constitute a teachers service. Our government was voted out of power and your government came in, August 94, general election.

You kept the creation of a teachers' service as an election trump card, for the November 1994 Presidential polls. You could have fulfilled the promise long ago. But you did not do so. Even the teachers services with it all inherent facilities was constituted by you after much agitation by the teachers.

But the proposed educational reforms have been accompanied with reforms in the teaching process.

The fourth question paper I suggsted, gives 10 marks to English knowledge of students.

Richard Pathirana (Minister of Education and Higher Education) I thank the members for their constructive suggestions and I will reply some of the issues that came up during the debate. The Vice Chancellors meeting was held at the Kandalama Hotel because foreign education officials participated at this meeting to discuss education reforms. The UNP agitating about the principals service now, failed to come up with a proper promotion scheme for principals. The UNP did not appoint Tamil teachers to the plantation and North East areas. We have appointed teachers to these areas and improved higher education facilities. We have signed an agreement with Maldives to provide higher education to students in that country.

Votes were passed.

In Parliament on Wednesday