"Never mind who draws the caravan as long as we are in it" - Prof.Hettige

Senior Professor of the Department of Sociology, University of Colombo , S.T. Hettige talks to the Sunday Observer staffer Afreeha Jawad

Q: What do you think has gone wrong in our over fifty years post independence history?

A: What we lack is integration and for this purpose a common language is extremely important. See for instance the European Union comprising 25 countries speaking 23 languages - the first thing they did in unification was to arrive at a common language and that was English.

I get students from all over Europe yet they all speak in English and when I deliver lectures in Europe I do so in English. So the Europeans have realized the only way they can sit in the same class is through a common language.

Q: What are the other educational shortcomings?

A: Yes. Ours is the most distorted education system in the world which goes against all values. For the past 20-30 years a hierarchical educational system exists with elite schools at the top replacing the equitable system that was, which is antithetical to equal opportunities.

We've got the underprivileged urban schools, international ones and in between are the private colleges. Gone are the days of the Central schools that gave equal opportunities to all not to forget the English language as medium of instruction. Today to admit a child one needs two things - money and political connections. The current going rate is Rs. 100,000. Both private and public schools have been doing this. How many parents can afford this.

Q: What are the other educational vitalities we have missed out on?

A: We have missed out on the intrinsic meaning of education. Education has become only a means to an end. It is not used to achieve social objectives such as citizenship, civility, social responsibility public morality and so on. In fact education has become only an instrumental activity so much so that many children even throw away their books after exams.

Q: We speak so much of pluralism but nothing is being done. Please comment.

A: Partly education and partly other reforms have led to this. For example we did not set up equitable and transparent systems to distribute resources which were highly politicised and what came about as a result was a patron/client relationship.

The practice of distributing public resources through political channels is an ongoing process. Thondaman is in the Cabinet and that is the only way to get resources. The late Sir Razik Fareed once even said, "Never mind who draws the caravan as long as we are in it". This was also in reference to getting resources for his community.

Q: How is resource distribution handled in the west?

A: Western democracies are handled in a way that governments do not handle day-to-day resource distribution. The public institutions did it. Why should the education system or for that matter any other be handled by politicians?

So pluralism can't be even thought of when the resource system is not based on a rational basis.

In Europe, public institutions are left alone. For instance poverty relief is entirely a matter for public servants. Here the politicians go distributing uniforms and food while cameras keep clicking. It is the children's right to get uniforms. Why should politicians give it. Is it because they have nothing to give?

Q: Why are we so averse to devolution?

A: People obsessed with political power, hate to devolve power. The ordinary people like it.

They would like to see their local council doing what politicians do.

Q: What do you see as a way out?

A: The principle of subsidiarity should come in and this means whatever that could be done at local level - be it social infrastructure, public service, relief distribution or any other should be managed by the people of that locality.

Education should not be a process of producing political constituencies.

The bottom line is to learn to accept the realities in facing the country's problems. We should leave behind our emotional baggage coming off socio/economic/cultural/religious and political leanings and become more rational which will certainly be in the interest of national development.