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| Sunday, 18 January 2004 |
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NEC report: education system inefficient and ineffective by Deepal Warnakulasuriya The National Education Commission (NEC) report on 'Proposals for National Policy Framework on General Education in Sri Lanka' has identified 'extreme politicisation' as a factor that has rendered the educational system both inefficient and ineffective. The report released recently has also identified the lack of co-ordination between the relevant institutes, along with inefficiency, incompetence and indifference of the officials and principals as well as lack of motivation among teachers as contributing to the predicament. The NEC report, which recommends far reaching changes to put the educational system back on track, was presented to the President and three Education Ministers on January 01. However, according to informed sources, the report had been compiled only in English and would take time for it to be translated into Sinhala and Tamil. Reliable sources revealed that the time taken to translate the report would delay its presentation to the Parliamentary Select Committee, where it has to be accepted to be confirmed as valid. An Education Ministry spokesman said arrangements had been made to translate the report and it will be presented to the PSC within two to three weeks. He also confirmed that the Ministry did not have the power to implement any of the recommendations made by the commission until the report is passed by the PSC. NEC Chairman Prof. R. P. Gunawardena presenting the report, said that the present Education Act should be replaced with a new development oriented, simple but broad based system to meet the current challenges. He also said that the existing Act is outdated, not applicable and irrelevant to the current needs. The report has recommended that one ministry should deal with the subject of education with one Cabinet Minister and one Chief Accounting Officer responsible for the education sector. However, it has allowed for two deputy ministers. It has also recommended that 5 to 16 be the compulsory school attendance age and upheld the right of every child to primary education in a school within 2 km and to secondary education within 5 km from the residence, irrespective of the student population or the community. The NEC report has reconfirmed the 'Z- score' technique for university entrance, but has dismissed the district merit system for admission to Arts, Commerce, Management, Law and other courses, recommending instead an all-island merit based system. It has also recommended an increase in the all-island merit quota for Medicine, Engineering, Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences from the present 40 per cent to 60 per cent in 2004 and to 80 per cent in 2006. Private tuition Proposals have also been made to upgrade the teaching of English Language and Science and Technology. It has also recommended that private tuition be prohibited during school hours and called for qualitative improvement in teaching in schools. The report has also prohibited school teachers from conducting tuition during school hours. The report has also recommended the increase in expenditure on education, stating that Sri Lanka is one of the countries in the region which has the lowest expenditures on education as a percentage of GDP. Private sector investment, more foreign aid and introducing e-governance to the education system have also been recommended. The Report also says "Unless politicisation is eliminated from the Education System, no amount of policy reforms, structural and organisational changes can prevent the breakdown of the system". Therefore, the commission calls for a 'joint declaration' for all political party leaders to perform the duty of hour. |
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