New Act to provide universal access to education - Mohan Lal Grero

By Naalir Jamaldeen

"The Ministry of Education has planned several development programs to improve the education sector. The thousand secondary schools development project and the introduction of the new A/L technology stream are some of the vital measures undertaken by the Ministry. Five thousand primary feeder schools around these secondary schools will also be developed. There will be a well- planned development program for primary schools. The formulation of a policy and a new Education Act for the development of the general education system is crucial. We have an Education Ordinance and a policy document which was drafted in 1939. A proposal to formulate a new policy for general education has been submitted to Cabinet and that is being studied by the Mahinda Madihewa Committee," Deputy Minister of Education, Mohan Lal Grero said in an interview with the Sunday Observer.

Excerpts of the interview

Q: Can you explain the programs to be implemented in the future?

A: Formulation of a policy and an Education Act is fundamental for the development of education. We have to address problems relating to Grade One admissions, the Grade Five scholarship examination and the mismatch between general education and the job market.

The Thousand secondary schools project and technology stream was set up as a remedial measure to mitigate these problems. But it is important to continue these projects efficiently as planned with dedication.

English is one of the most important subjects which should be taught in all schools at all levels. English knowledge is poor among a large number of students across the country. We have a responsibility to improve English skills; especially listening and speaking skills of students. There are 32,000 English teachers in the school network throughout the country. We have found that some of them are weak in spoken English. When their speaking skills are developed, English knowledge can be easily transmitted to students. From 2015 onwards, we are planning to assess speaking and listening skills of students at the term tests. Seventy five marks will be given for reading and writing while 25 marks will be allocated for listening and speaking skills. Without giving marks for speech we can't improve the speaking skills of students. There is a plan to extend this assessment for the G.C.E (O/L) examination in 2018. Through this system, we intend to motivate students, parents and teachers to learn spoken English.

Moral education is another important area. This has been divided into three sections including prevention of substance abuse ,character development and spiritual development. A well planned teacher instruction manual is being prepared for this purpose.

Physical education is another important area in the education system. Children should have time for sports and recreational activities and must enjoy leisure time. This will help in building up their health. A mandatory ten minute physical training program in the morning is already introduced in all schools. Minister of Education, Bandula Gunawardena makes surprise visits to schools to assess these programs are carried out. Students are encouraged to participate at least in one sport. The Education Ministry is planning to set up a TV channel dedicated to education. Through this we expect to reach many students, teachers and parents .

Q: There is a mentality among the people that the present school education system should be changed, do you agree with this?

A: We have already taken some invaluable initiatives towards this endeavour on the directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. We still follow the Education Ordinance of 1939. Some amendments were made to this Ordinance subsequently, but it is no longer relevant. We need a new education policy and a new Education Act. We have already started discussions, inviting proposals and formulating policy statements. A new policy for general education is necessary since circumstances have changed and legislation in the archaic Ordinance has little validity in today's context.

Q: Does the Ministry have any plans to introduce vocational training programs at school level?

A: Already this program is in operation in 251 selected schools. We introduced a new Technology stream in these schools for the first time on July 15 last year. Technology subjects are directly related and relevant to the demands of the local and international job market. Competency building and vocational training are included in this curriculum.

This has become very popular. Over 13,000 students have already enrolled in the stream. Students visit nearby industries, technical colleges and vocational training institutions to be trained. We foresee that this year around 30,000 A/L students would select technology subjects.

The students who follow the Technology Stream will be given the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 3 Certificate after four months industrial training. Later they can follow many career development paths depending on their performance. The best can apply to Universities and the next best can enroll in University Colleges which are being set up by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development. Others can join a public or private training provider to achieve the NVQ Level 4 and then join a University College and read up to the NVQ Level 7 (B Tech Degree) level. Some can be employed and complete the Degree while earning.

Q: Which sections in the Education Department should be improved?

A: There are some sections that should be improved in the Department. Education is a decentralized subject. Only national schools function under the Ministry of Education of the Central Government. All the other schools function under Provincial Councils. Different provinces have different systems to deal with education. Then each province has different requirements which leads to issues in the education network. There must be a uniform system for all provinces. Coordination among provinces and the linear ministry is of utmost importance. Students will benefit from a coordinated program.

There are underdeveloped schools and developed schools in the same province. A well-coordinated mechanism should be in place to minimize inequalities and to improve under-developed schools. There is an urgent need to appraise the performances of teachers to motivate them. Increments should be recommended based on this appraisal. Under the present system all teachers receive promotions irrespective of their talent, dedication and performance.

There are Master Teachers who come under the teacher service. After they are appointed as Master Teachers, they are attached to Divisional Education offices. Divisions have been set up for administrative purposes. There are 98 education zones. Each education zone is divided into divisions. Master teachers are attached to these divisions.

For example, the Chemistry Master Teacher will take care of Chemistry in that division. He can easily identify and appraise the performance of Chemistry teachers. They may be the quality assurance officers of the future. They can go from school to school in the division and assess the standards of the relevant subject and teachers. Based on their assessments incentives and promotions should be given. There should be a separate specialised quality assurance department in the Education Ministry to look after quality in every aspect of general education.

As far as education is concerned, there are three important aspects. They are accessibility, quality and equity and relevance to the job market. Children in all parts of the country should have equal access to education which is called universal access to education. Second important aspect is quality and equity. Every child has a right to receive an education with stipulated quality. To achieve this; material and human resources should be continuously improved and distributed equally. Further ; what is taught in the general education system should be relevant to the demands of the industry and job market. These are the areas we have to improve in our education system.

Q: Can you explain teacher training in the education system?

A:Most of the teacher development work is handled by the National Institute of Education (NIE) . There are 18 National Colleges of Education which produce about 3200 teachers annually. Then we have eight Teacher Training Colleges and over 100 Teacher Training Centres. There are Regional English Support Centres to train English Teachers. Many training programs are conducted by NIE and other provincial providers. But whether the full benefit of these trainings trickles down to students is doubtful.

Q: Can you explain the subject of Information Technology in schools?

A: Our computer literacy in 2005 was about 11 percent. Today it has increased to almost 45 percent.

At present many schools have computer facilities. 1,000 secondary schools will have state- of -the-art IT laboratories with 40 computers each and other software and equipment. IT teachers are recruited and are being included in the school system.