‘Political game with Jt. Opp. backing’

Civil society leaders rubbish GMOA elite schools demand

by Manjula Fernando and Maneshka Borham

The mad rush for places in high quality government schools has taken a new twist recently, with government doctors resorting to lightning strikes and, other trade union tactics, in their agitation for such a privilege for their children.

Led by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), the doctors have threatened to extend their protest island-wide, if some 200 of their children are denied ‘best schools’ by the Education Ministry. It was the first of a kind, a union strike over access to elite state sector schools for just one section of the country’s professionals.

This action by the GMOA follows its recent agitation against recognition of doctors qualifying from the new private medical college, SAITM, Malabe. In the light of the GMOA’s elite school demand, the following revelations are noteworthy.

As the list of schools requested by the GMOA for children of its transferred members were released to the media, serious concerns have been raised, fairness being one among many. According to the list, the doctors appear to only demand certain popular ‘national schools’ despite the availability of student places in other national schools in the respective towns to which they were transferred. For example, according to the list, a doctor transferred from the Polpithigama District Hospital to the Polpithigama MOH had requested Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, which is 45 kilometers away.

This is despite the foremost national school in the area, Polpithigama National School, being located adjacent to the Polpithigama MOH office. Likewise, doctors transferred from Kurunegala to other areas such as Galewela, Dambulla, Kegalle and Nikaweratiya too have requested their children to be admitted to Maliyadeva College.

One Doctor who was transferred from the Kurunegala District MOH office to Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, just a few metres away too felt the urgent need to request a new school for the child.

Another doctor who received a transfer within the city of Panadura and who is also residing in Panadura had asked for Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo. However, while the publicized list caused embarrassment to the GMOA, Assistant Secretary of the association Dr. Nalinda Herath made a feeble attempt to justify these requests. “Every parent wishes the best schools for his children, so I do not see any wrong in the requests made,” he was quoted as saying at a recent press briefing. The GMOA, thereafter, challenged the Education Minister to likewise release lists of children admitted to elite schools without adhering to proper procedure, after March 31.

The GMOA claimed that while they have the proof they did not wish to publicize these lists to avoid any embarrassment to those involved.However, the Sunday Observer has learnt that lists claiming to show such admissions given by the Ministry of Education too are now making the rounds and shared on social media by various groups. This calls into question the respect for children’s rights as well, since their names are being dragged all over social media. The GMOA has now stressed, their demands should be met by the government if it wishes to retain doctors in the country and prevent them seeking better opportunities abroad.

The Sunday Observer obtained the views of a cross section of civil society over this burning issue and here’s what they had to say:

Civil society activist and lawyer Dr. Nimalka Fernando:

All children in Sri Lanka, irrespective of the profession of the parent, must be entitled to a good education.

This is guaranteed under the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Sri Lanka is a signatory. What facilities have been provided for children of plantation and migrant workers who through their sweat and blood have enriched the country’s coffers? This country is dependent on remittances from migrant workers.

They also have the equal rights as doctors, to demand admission to the best schools for their children. The medical profession has carried out several undignified struggles during the past two years. The GMOA has launched two struggles recently, one against the ETCA and the latest is the school fiasco. Both are based on special privileges.

The former demand related to a threat they would face with the expansion of the ‘health-care’ sector in the private domain. Yet, one of the private hospitals where the government held shares during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime had Indian doctors.

The GMOA was silent at the time. What about the Chinese workers employed in all the construction sites during the previous regime? This is a political game the present leadership of GMOA has resorted to. It is no secret that the leadership of GMOA is constantly in touch with the Members of Parliament of the Joint Opposition and is jointly strategizing before each strike action is launched. Private practice goes unabated even during strikes in state hospitals.

It is the poor and the marginalized who seek health care from government hospitals. This is an unjustified struggle. We must endeavour to raise the standards of all schools to be like Royal, Ananda and Nalanda, and not have such exclusive club attitude.

Former Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri:

I am on principle against professionals being given special treatment, be it popular schools or any other. But there are some practical issues related to certain groups in state service. University teachers are also among this group. Unfortunately, this requirement is wrongly interpreted for personal advantage.

The bottom line is, doctors and university teachers are not the only two groups entitled to this benefit. If the Minister proposes to abolish such special privileges, it must cover every sector. There should not be discrimination. We agree that elite groups dominate and enjoy preferential treatment and the children of poor shanty dwellers are barred from entry to popular schools under various pretexts.

I am not in favour of the GMOA or any other group infringing the rights of the general public, but the issue is not as simple as that. If the Education Minister stands for equal treatment, he has to be consistent. If the officials deny special treatment for doctors, then the same has to be applied to politicians and other privileged groups. No one can be allowed to indulge in their own idiosyncrasies. You must represent a common view. But I admit that here is an issue of ethics.

Jagath Gunawardene, Environmental Activist and Lawyer:

A union or similar association should only use the strike action as a weapon in professional situations and not for other personal purposes. By striking for an issue such as this they have overstepped the boundaries of unionism, using the strike weapon for personal purposes and holding people to ransom.

It is extremely unbecoming of a supposed professional union. It is not ethical in any way to act in such a manner. The majority of Doctors are products of free education and are bound by conscience, morality and duty to serve the country. It is a transgression of their professional duties, ethics, as well as a betrayal of trust the people have placed on them.

Only a few get the opportunity to become doctors due to the competition to enter local universities and therefore, they have a moral obligation to serve the people. According to the basic tenets of education all children should get equal opportunity to study in any school around the country. The GMOA or any other professional body getting what is considered the lion’s share of popular schools will mean that other children who complete the necessary requisites will be denied that opportunity. This goes against the basic tenets of free education. The GMOA´s actions make the group, enemies of free education. Doctors are not the only professionals or government employees on transferable service. For example, Police Officers are transferred every four years and many others go through the same process.

If the government opens the gates to one profession alone by granting such demands they will not have a way to stop others making similar demands.While I, in no way, oppose children of professionals being admitted to national schools it should be done in a fair manner and by not holding the country to ransom.

Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, Executive Director of CaFFE:

Any trade union, group or association demanding popular schools that are considered elite for their children is not justifiable under any circumstances. There is a National Education Policy and all citizens should adhere to it. The profession of a parent should not be a qualifying factor when granting entrance to any school.Under the constitution all citizens in a country are equal and therefore, favouritism to a particular profession is not acceptable. Unlike other trade unions the GMOA always takes the upper hand regarding transfers of its members, only making such demands all the more unconscionable.

How justifiable is it to request a new school for a child when the Doctor is being transferred from Homagama to Maharagama which is a town only a short distance away? The government should not at all bow down to such demands.

Senior policy analyst Dr. Sujatha Gamage:

I am strongly of the view that national schools must be open for students who excel in studies and extra curricular activities across the country, instead of becoming places that serve children of a privileged few. Due to influential public servants and old boy-old-girl networks, admissions to popular national schools are wrought with inequities.

We need to question, how many scholarship holders get due opportunity to get admitted to these national schools every year, what is their percentage against others? The popular schools that serve special groups also violate the free education concept. We must end this culture.

The national schools should not be ‘buses’ that arrive half full with privileged groups such as doctors’ or politicians’ children. The government servants who go on transfers should have a school closest to their postings.