|
|
 |
  |
| Sunday, 24 October 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
On October 19 was the 100th birth anniversary of Fr. Peter Pillai A stalwart of national education by Nimal Sanderatne
It is said that in 1940 when Fr. Peter took over St. Joseph's from Fr. Le Goc, an acknowledged and reputed educationist, there were some misgivings whether Fr. Peter could rise to the eminence of Fr. Le Goc. In 1961 when Fr. Peter left St. Joseph's he had faced 21 years of the most turbulent years in the country's educational history. Those who agreed as well as those who disagreed with him had no doubts about the vital role he played to improve the college, set standards for school education and be a force in the country's educational policy formulation. Commitment to equal opportunity It was my good fortune to come under Canon R. S. de Saram at St. Thomas for 13 years and Fr. Peter Pillai at Aquinas for two years. There were many similarities in these two great Principals, who faced a turbulent period of the country's educational history with the courage of their convictions and a vision for the future. Although the political and social events of the time may have made them seem reactionaries, the unfolding of events has shown the wisdom of many of their positions. Fr. Peter's academic achievements were those of a genius. His spectacular performance of obtaining eight distinctions at the Junior Cambridge Examination and eight distinctions at the Senior Cambridge Examination are well known. In both these examinations he achieved the distinction of being first in the world. He did not use the exemption he obtained from the Matriculation Examination. Instead he obtained a first division in it. He obtained his B.Sc. London at 19 and had the distinction of a double first class in Mathematics. He obtained a M.Sc. from London University, a M. A from Cambridge and Ph.D, and D. D. degrees from Rome. Despite all these brilliant achievements, he was truly humble and always thought of his learning as modest in comparison with what was still there to learn. His knowledge was not merely that acquired for his examinations in Mathematics and the Sciences but included also the Arts and Humanities. He valued the need for a broad education far more than examination success and acquisition of skills and knowledge. His wide exposure to life in the West and his many travels to most parts of the world broadened his approach to national affairs or social life. One of the key principles of Fr. Peter's educational policy was his commitment to the equality of opportunity. His obsession with social justice and equality of opportunity is very well known and he relentlessly pursued this idea. His eagerness to ensure equality of opportunity in education was both realistic and within the framework of the need to proceed with the resolution of this objective, within the given constraints of resources, the nature of the country's economy and realism with respect to the limitations in the use of the national languages in a scientific modern world and a small country such as ours. Value of English He would not want the concept of equality of opportunity for the children of the country to be achieved by lowering educational standards so that ultimately there are no gainers but only losers. How important his cautionary position has turned out to be! We may well ask whether we have gained in providing a greater degree of opportunity for education by unnecessarily lowering educational standards. Had we followed the principles enunciated by Fr. Peter we may have been able to expand opportunities without compromising standards. The unfolding of events, particularly after his demise, has proved beyond any doubt the dangers of neglecting English. Fr. Peter pointed out that while Sinhala and Tamil should be used as the media of instruction, there were limits to their use, particularly with respect to science education at university. He was willing to concede that it may be possible to use the national languages in the study of the arts, but it was quite clear that in the sciences, it would bring down the standards of education. It is now clear that the introduction of Sinhala and Tamil for even arts education has had an impact on lowering the standards in these areas as well. He emphasised that even if Sinhala and Tamil be the media of instruction, that a proper education could not be achieved without students having a knowledge of English, which would enable them to have access to the literature and developments in their fields. Had we followed a policy of ensuring that all students who went for higher education had a proper grasp of English as Fr.Peter insisted then we would not be in the plight of having lowered our, higher educational standards in a world where the horizons of education are ever expanding and standards continuously improving. Schools take-over He was forthright on the issue of the take-over of schools and unreserved in his calling it "the height of folly". His position on the schools take-over was very clearly stated in his Prize Day Speech at St. Joseph's in 1960. Case for external examinations An article on Fr. Peter cannot be completed without reference to his case for external examinations. He studied this subject comprehensively and had a dialogue and series of communications with the University of London. It is on the basis of such a studied approach that he was totally convinced of the need for external examinations. He said in a memorandum to Sir Arthur Wijeyewardene, Q.C., Chairman of the Commission of Higher Education in the National Languages: "The need for external examinations in Ceylon is so obvious that it hardly needs elaborating. The University of Ceylon which is now unitary and residential only takes in about 2,000 students. If only this number obtains university education in Ceylon, the ratio of university students to the population will be one of the lowest in the world. Australia with a population approximately that of ours has six universities, while in America there is one university student to every 80 of the country's population which is about 350 times our ratio in Ceylon. While the American achievement is utterly beyond our resources, it is also abundantly clear that our population of university students is woefully below that of any decent civilised country. "Moreover, the cost of education in the halls of residence of the University of Ceylon is too high for a large number of students. There are many students who are either living with their parents in Colombo and other towns or who have to be employed for financial reasons, who are deprived of a university degree because the University of Ceylon is at present unitary and residential. "The demand for external degrees has been persistent and almost universal, and it can no longer be refused without going absolutely counter to public opinion. It might be though that if facilities for external degrees are provided, there will be too many graduates being produced in Ceylon and that this will lead to unemployment of the educated. "The answer is that first of all higher learning is not primarily for the sake of employment. A liberal education is learning for its own sake. This cultivation of the mind need have no necessary relation to more remunerative employment. Further, we are now, and shall be for a long time more very short of graduates in our secondary schools. There is at the moment an acute shortage of science teachers. "Moreover our government and mercantile services can absorb a large number of graduates, though these cannot expect the same comparatively high salaries that they are getting now. The services are bound to improve with the higher level of education of the personnel." I have quoted him extensively because the case he made for external examinations could not be stated better. It is also important to realise that Fr. Peter advocated external examinations both of the University of London and the University of Ceylon, yet as he pointed out that the London examinations should continue for several reasons. He said: "The London examinations should also continue, first because they set a uniformly high standard which cannot but be beneficial not only to the country in general but also to the University of Ceylon, which will then take care that its standards do not fall below those of London. That there is a genuine danger of our standards deteriorating is proved by the experience of the Indian universities, so many of which have allowed their standards to go down owing to absence of competition. "The existence of the London examinations will also provide the variety that is necessary in institutions and systems of higher learning. Otherwise the University of Ceylon will enjoy a monopoly which is good neither for the university, nor for the schools, nor for the country as a whole." He was not unaware of arguments against the English examination owing to the content of such examinations being more suited to the British student, than to the Sri Lankan, particularly in such fields as history, geography and economics. He therefore, urged the need to canvass with the London University for an adaptation of papers in these subjects for Sri Lankan students. In advocating external examinations of the London University, he once again pointed out that this need not be at the expense or the exemption, of the needs of the Government for proficiency in the national languages. He pointed out that proficiency in national languages required by the Government could be also insisted upon as a separate and necessary qualification. It was Fr. Peter's wish that Aquinas should in the fullness of time be "a constituent College of a University in Ceylon". He strove hard to achieve this though this ideal is now further away from realisation than in his lifetime. Those who knew Fr. Peter well, know that a key factor in his personality was his total commitment to his faith. The sincerity with which he was committed was unquestionable. The interpretation of that faith in terms of a just social order was a contribution he made to the life of the Church and society. The educational policies he pursued were therefore within the framework of thinking to establish a just social order and make the younger generation useful citizens of the country. His boldness and courage were as much the result of his religious commitments as were the goals he pursued. Fr. Peter's achievements as an educationist were based on a multiplicity of factors; he combined brilliant academic achievements with humility, a broad education with a total commitment to God, and an interpretation of that commitment in relation to the social needs of the community. These were the qualities that made him the great educationist he was. Courtesy Priest & Prophet |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
Fr. Peter Pillai occupies a place in Sri Lanka's history of education
as one of the great Principals of Sri Lanka's schools - Frazer of Trinity,
Highfield of Wesley, Kularatne of Ananda, Stone and de Saram of St.
Thomas' and Le Goc of St. Joseph's, to name only a few. Fr. Peter's
contribution to education spanned the years when free education was
introduced, the introduction of Swabasha as the media of instruction in
schools and the take-over of assisted denominational schools. He is well
known for his forthright views on all these issues.
