Contemporary education suffers character shortfall

Unless equipped with emotional stability, deprivation of all sorts could be forerunner to stress which play out in turn puts the few balanced personalities be at the receiving end. For instance, ragging could be the direct outcome of whatever social, economic, intellectual deprivation-the victims being those that do not confront such.

To restrict such abnormalities to only university life is far from the truth. Noteworthy is its widespread across the social spectrum - be it in many homes, schools, workplaces whatever. Deprivation leads to jealousies followed by competition, bringing the mind into stress and depression. A catty remark or hint then is a sure sign of depression coming off deprivation needless to speak of stable minds that treat it with not more than a pinch of salt. Yet such behaviour - an increasingly upward phenomenon does not augur well for social mental health.

Talking to the Sunday Observer on depression within university confines, Colombo University senior Professor S. T. Hettige said, "From deprivation to depression followed by ragging - here we go - Senior versus junior, privileged versus underprivileged, rural/urban, rich/poor, academically motivated/otherwise, intellectual/dullard - the dichotomy list is endless.

Ragging then is partly related to such contradictions. Listening to Professor Hettige, one also observes how ragging results not only in terms of retrospective deprivation but prospective denial as well. For instance a university student's depressed mindset in looking at his/her bleak future could also be a facilitator to ragging and resultantly an aversion towards juniors which he sees as a tool to gaining attention.

Besides, unattractive university life itself devoid of the excitement of learning, discussing, debate, writing and so on keeps them engaged in activities such as ragging. They get a kick off it. Also contemporary universities are cultural deserts unlike the ones yesteryear. There's no chance of building communication skills artistic abilities, engaging in culture products such as dancing, art, music and so on that would keep students on their toes. In this situation, students resort to destructive methods by diverting energy into negative ways - one such is ragging."

"It is the university authorities and academics who should mobilize resources to equip students with the necessary skills. When they themselves are busy doing their own thing and have no time to nor motivation to contribute to active students life, what can one expect?" asked a disgruntled Professor Hettige. So the atomization of the university community has set in.

Being low key, publicly funded organisations, it makes matters worse. A link up with the corporate sector and foreign institutions is very necessary. The students themselves are from rural background with no resources of their own and this low economic condition also dampens activities which otherwise should constitute part of university life.

English knowledge

Professor Hettige also referred to the lack of English knowledge as a big drawback to students' intellectual advancement not to forget the absence of life's skills as well. Understandably so, for a while one shuts the door to the outside world, the other makes students more dependent, leaving no room for empowerment.

All this starts from the school system itself. Schools don't produce students that can bring in a dynamic academic atmosphere. The schools are heavily focused on imparting text book knowledge and as a result children's minds are not made best use of. Academic activities, life's skills and vocational skills should all go hand in hand. We de-stall children's minds focusing only on text books. No wonder children are frustrated.

Inverse relationship

Facing any challenge and being empowered are all part of life's skills. For instance can our children manage at least to some degree, the domestic sphere. Can they weed their own garden or plant a few trees? Come A'Levels, they pass the examination and remain jobless. Ironically, the uneducated youth are gainfully employed.

People with no education have no such problems because they have both vocational and life's skills while those with education are de-skilled. Professor Hettige laughingly noted how we have, over 40-50 years invested so much of public money only to de-skill the school population. There is this inverse relationship between education and skills development which ideally should be the other way round.

"With all the educational research and so many educational institutions such as NEC and NIE among others, what have we achieved in empowering children and equipping them with life and vocational skills? Regardless of these institutions the uneducated youth take a handsome pay packet home back to their village every week following gainful employment". "Unless the school system is improved, the quality of university students will remain the same. Pottery needs good clay. Bad clay will only result in bad pots. After thirteen years schooling, what with all the damage done, what can one expect from these children when they get into university?"

When this writer asked Professor Hettige of the current dearth of quality teachers in schools that hurdles all attempts to bring out the kind of student he had in mind, he regretfully replied,

"Well, the teachers too are products of the same system. It doesn't end with teachers. They are in politics, in the bureaucracy, among university staff - you name it these are all products of the same system.

Incidentally it is saddening to note of our close geographical proximity to India because we start comparing and are humiliated. Take even the foreign service. See how backward we are. Just talk to even a junior Indian diplomat.

You begin to see the difference. They are not shallow. They are so thorough and possess in depth knowledge and understanding. Can we ever have such enlightened personalities in the local foreign service?" concluded Professor Hettige. His candid views on Sri Lanka's failure in arriving at education's goals, reminded this writer of that great Indian sage Swami Vivekananda who said, "The idea of all education, all training should be man-making. But instead of that, we are always polishing the outside. Of what use is polishing up the outside when there is no inside?"

It also reminded this writer of her father's oft' quoted expression, "Education in Latin is Ex-duco and means 'to draw out'.

Education helps to draw out the best in man or the worst in him. A crook becomes a refined crook, a cultured man an enlightened one."

Apparently, in contemporary education, the first has overtaken the other resulting in loss of character and spirit. In reference to spirit, interestingly Indian Prime Minister V. P. Singh had this to say, "Education which does not help the common mass of people to equip themselves for the struggle of life which does not bring out strength of character, a spirit of philanthropy and the courage of a lion - is it worth the name?"

Whither strength of character when depression follows deprivation and fierce competition?