-By Eng. Sooriasegaram
(Lanka-e-News -01.Aug.2025, 8.30 PM) Government’s proposed education reforms are long overdue. I whole heartedly welcome them.
They need widespread consultation with all stakeholders including the students, the recipients and purpose of education.
Implementation of the reforms with the existing lethargic, inefficient, maladministering and corrupt education administrators is doomed to fail in the same way as the existing education system.
The existing education system with all its deficiencies could have produced better human resources for the country than what we have today, if efficiently administered. Therefore, the education administration system and its performance need vast improvement. The system failed largely due to the non-functioning of the School Development Committees (STC). STC exists only for name’s sake without the active participation of all teachers and parents. The principal with a few of his handpicked teachers and parents is now the STC, which is not accountable to the school community. Views and concerns of students, who are the actual recipients of education are totally ignored. Delivery of present education failed largely for this reason.
The investment in each school is huge – land, buildings, equipment, laboratories, computers, smart boards, library, electricity, water supply, sanitary facilities, sports facilities, nearly 100 teachers receiving more than Rs.50, 000 pcm, principal, administrative staff and minor staff, all with salaries and pension rights. Having invested such a lot money, running the school for 6.5 hours per day only is a criminal waste of investment and human resources. Imagine setting up a large factory like a cement factory or car manufacturing plant employing hundreds of workers and engaging in production only for 6.5 hours per day! No where in the world this happens. No country can afford this.
We are talking of about 9500 schools employing nearly 80,000 teachers in the country, functioning only 6.5 hours per day.
We need the school time increased till 3pm and make students to do sport till 5 pm so that a healthy mind in a healthy body is created in each student.
When new subjects are introduced such as Technology stream in A level, we need to ensure teachers are trained to deliver the subjects such as Science for Technology and Engineering technology. This was not done by the government. Existing science teachers cannot handle these subjects. One graduate science teacher cannot teach Science for Technology because it consists of 3 different subjects namely Physics, Chemistry and Biology combined. 3 teachers are needed to teach these subjects – one chemistry teacher, one physics teacher and one biology teacher. Similarly for Engineering Technology you need a teacher who has knowledge in Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Electrical engineering, Civil engineering and Biotechnology. Only an engineer or a person with a degree in Technology can fulfill these requirements.
So, without ensuring availability of resource persons new subjects should never be introduced.
Therefore, the proposed education reforms must ensure the following:
1. Properly represented SDC with the participation of teachers, parents, principals and students exists to self-manage the schools
2. Adequacy of qualified teachers to deliver the school curriculum
3. Proposed new reforms are properly consulted with all stakeholders, who should unreservedly accept the urgent need for reforms if Sri Lanka is to become a united, happy and prosperous country, unlike in the last 75 years.
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by (2025-08-01 15:15:51)
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