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| Sunday, 02 April 2006 |
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Professional betrayal: Teacher, leave those kids alone! by Afreeha Jawad
Little Thusari six years, writes six pages daily of the alphabets - both English and Sinhala. That's as far as homework goes. What of tuition, dancing, music and every conceivable extra curricular activities she's put through in her very regimented lifestyle depriving her of what might otherwise have been an innocent and carefree childhood. Thusari holds no monopoly over such living. She is part of an emerging generation assuredly a recurring decimal in the decades to follow. What good that status quo holds only time will tell. To think this chained childhood to be only Colombo's 'preserve' is surely to miss out on reality. Spreading its tentacles beyond the city's territorial limits even as far as once remote Kurunegala the malaise is steadily on its way into enveloping the whole country casting waves of doubt over the qualitative and moral moulding of this country's adults to be. What's most understandably regretful though not all the while are the numerous teachers themselves that invite young ones into their flourishing tutories, often following 'professional betrayal.' What should have been once their cherished duty is later delivered in full gusto in their tutories at high pecuniary gain. While they see the need for an enhanced monthly income to confront the escalating living cost what they don't see is the intensity of such pecuniary indulgence overlooking all high moral ground. Interestingly ironical are parental outlook and attitude towards the whole exercise of tuition and tutories. Accordingly, children are sent to these 'educational fashion spots' to fall in line with all that is trendy besides the incessant thirst of seeing siblings through examination gymnastics - presumably the gateway to what is called a successful life - if only learning to read and write could be described on making a success of one's chronological years. That then is to view life through some restricted lens denying the higher purpose. In a day and age of truth being distorted and illusion taken for reality, surely winning the examination marathon is an essential pre-requisite for systemic high flying - never mind the churning of whatever is unholistic human capital. That systemic education noted for its grotesque performance within the sensual enclave 'is yardstick to measurement of a full blown, well developed, rounded personality' cannot be dismissed as sheer fiction is to be taken serious note of if the whole educational pursuit and its finale is the making of value filled and quality based individuals. Such well rounded personalities and the market are no doubt incompatible. Labour units are churned through a competitive examination process which knows not what value fulfilment is all about. Little wonder then why tutories and examinations get priority over all other. But then the insistence of ethics against such backdrops is akin to the unrealizable task of a Himalayan lifting. The varied countries' high literacy rates - often the UN's boastful state - how far have such endeavours based on learning only to read and write taken us towards a better world. The earlier concept of learning that cultivated intellectual growth has taken a right about turn into a financial nexus. In short, quality has been undermined for quantity which then brings one to the point of learning and tutories. All this apart the whole concept of schools imparting whatever is systemic education itself is on its way out leaving tutories to such task. Then comes the question. Why should there be schools? Some even suggest the closure of city schools viewing such to be a white elephant. Others believe village school teachers to be more duty conscious, not resorting to the tutories their city counterparts conduct. This Observer staffer's attempt last week in Kurunegala to contact the Principals of two leading schools there - both Holy Family Convent and Maliyadeva Girls College was futile. While the latter was unreachable in toto despite assurances by some office hand to hang on utterly unconcerned over the caller's rising call charges, the other was interested in knowing who else was contacted on this subject of teachers and tutories. Is it that they are on the defensive playing safe with their staff in case they risk their lives in resorting to overt criticism? |
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