What ails our education system?

by Indeewara THILAKARATHNE

Over the years it has been proved that Sri Lankans are innovative.

This is applicable to a range of activities including education.

The primary aim and objective of imparting knowledge and skills, have been spelled out by philosophers and educationists. Broadening world view, inculcating values and ethics in the tender minds of the students and expanding the understanding of culture and civilisation are some of the noble objectives of education. Building a balanced personality and productive citizen should be the overall objective of a system of education.

It seems that the present system of education produces a generation of men and women with little or no sense of values, ethics or understanding of the culture and civilization. They have, eventually, occupied diverse positions in different fields such as public service, media, education, professions and civil organisations. Significantly only a handful of persons are motivated by values, ethical standards and public interest.

It is a well known fact that when societies abandoned their traditions and system of values, they were in a state of instability. Significant characteristics of an emerging social order is the birth of a new system of values, norms and ethical principles that had to be accepted as the very basis of the emerging social system.

New economic, social and cultural institutions had to emerge to guide the social system in the making. Alternative perspectives of diverse issues including those which directly dealt with existential issues were to provide by science and reason. Traditional social structures began to collapse against the backdrop of questioning the rationale behind them and increasingly rejecting them. New political ideas led to the throwing overboard the age-old traditional political institutions, adapting new ones. In place of traditional social control and regulation, the modern system of judiciary evolved, adapting more humane methods of correction instead of its cruel counterpart under the old system.

The modern system of education has been evolved as a result of the process of social transformation and not merely as means of transmitting new ideas, values, ethics and worldview. It is a source of producing knowledge and imparting skills that makes its recipients fit into the new environment.

Modern institutional framework including industries, state, bureaucracies, political institutions, new professions, media institutions and universities require men and women upholding modern ethical principles, socio-cultural values and sound knowledge and skills in diverse fields.

Although it has not been an easy task to maintain a judicious balance between skill-oriented education and a wider humanistic education, professionalisation and training in diverse fields has been coupled with purposeful proliferation of liberal arts education.

Children and youth even in most modern societies under the secular system of education are influenced by diverse forces such as ethno-centric and parochial world views, instrumentalist ethics propagated by traditional social institutions and competitive economic systems.

It is imperative that a range of social issues facing contemporary societies such as inequality, discrimination, prejudices, corruption, conflicts, violence and marginalization have to be taken into consideration against this backdrop though they cannot be attributed to education.

The role of the system of education is critically important in shaping attitudes, values and behaviours of individuals and groups although it is important to consider the contribution of other institutions such as the media, political parties, governments, business and professions. In this regard the most influential aspect of education is not the knowledge that a child acquires from a teacher and books but socio-cultural practices within the educational institutions.

School segregation, selection of students, teacher-pupil relationship, and role of religion, education institution and the medium of instruction are all important aspects that influence the identities, world views and attitudes of children and youth.

Such influence has a life-long effect on individuals. It is clear that those who attended certain educational institutions tend to share common values although there may be exceptions due to diverse external influences. The important point is that sthe ystem of education should be evaluated in terms of its content and how it is delivered as well as its material deficiencies. For the future of the country is dependent on the nature of products of the system of education in terms of their social and cultural attributes as much as their capabilities.

(The article is based on a discussion with Prof. S.T Hettige of the University of Colombo)