New Act soon to revamp education

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

A new National Education Policy and a new Education Act will be introduced soon, said Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

Minister Gunawardena told the Sunday Observer that the present Education Act was introduced by the Father of Free Education Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara in 1931.

A series of amendments were later introduced to the Principals Act by successive Education Ministers during the past 79 years. The whole system of education is in a grave situation as a result of the outdated policies and the current Education Act. The present education policies have failed to meet the country’s needs, he said.

The Minister said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has approved the early appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to inquire into and make recommendations for a new National Education Policy. The Select Committee which will comprise Members of Parliament from the Government and the Opposition will call for representations from educationists and Sri Lankan academics including those working abroad, teachers, unions and student organisations. The Select Committee will submit its report within 60 days, he said.

“Children are the principal assest of the country. It is of no use to continue the present education system which is a heavy burden on the National Exchequer.

The current system of education denies future prospects for around 300,000 students who sit the GCE (OL) and GCE (AL) examinations annually. Only 20,000 students of the 150,000 qualify for entry to universities annually, he said.

The recently released GCE (OL) results are evidence of the low standard of the education system in the country.

Forty-nine percent, 55 percent and 20 percent of the students who sat the GCE (OL) examination last year failed in mathematics, science and the mother tongue, Sinhalese.

There is no proper system to manage the pre-school education as it does not come under the purview of the Education Ministry.

Some pre-schools which are funded and maintained by foreign NGOs commence the day without singing the national anthem.

Instead they get the children to sing a foreign national anthem. This is the type of education we have today. Compared to the national aspirations it fosters a posterity which tends to be unpatriotic and anti-social as well, he said.