Sudath Gunasekara 26.5. 2017

Last week I had an electrician at my place to do a small job. Along with him he brought a young boy of 10 years to give him a helping hand. The man said the little one is his brother’s eldest son who is going to an International school. His father, I was told has no permanent job who meets his ends through casual jobs.

Thinking of the economic difficulties of the father first I asked my friend as to why the little one is not going to a government school. Then he said his brother, though it is very expensive to upkeep the child at the International School, wanted the child to go to an International school as he wished to give him an English education. I asked the boy in Sinhala his date of birth. He said sinhalen  kiyanta danne ne. Then I asked for his date of birth. He promptly replied. Now look at the plight of the younger generation going to the so- called international schools. Today I think we have more international schools than national schools in this country. I am told in these schools they don’t teach Buddhism or Sri Lankan history.

Their dress is international. Education is international. Manners international. They are taught to think internationally, behave as Englishmen. So overall they are completely different from the children going to Government schools in all respects. They are trained to appear for international tests and examinations. Children coming out of these schools do not know their country, they do not know their history, religion, customs and manners. In other words when they come out they are complete misfits to our society. If this is the generation that is going to take over the country tomorrow, I can’t imagine as to what is going to happen to the country. How long this country will remain as Sri Lanka. It will soon become a little England, what the British could not achieve for nearly 150 years.

A country’s education, apart from character building of its people, is expected to train its posterity to take over the future responsibilities of the country. For that every country has a national system of education certainly not an international education. It is needed at higher levels firstly, to deal with the outside world. Secondly, to take over the responsibilities of different fields in future to take the country forward. But they all must know their history culture and customs to protect their identity.

I remember these International schools were originally started in early 1970s, firstly, in Colombo and then in Kandy for the children of expatriates who were working on Development Projects like Victoria, Kotmale and in  diplomatic missions.

But later with the spread of the effects of the open economy these schools mushroomed all over the country. Factors like the failure on the part of the Governments to meet the needs of increasing school going population, newly flowing in black money and fancy expectations of the newly rich were responsible for the phenomenal rise of International schools. They all charge tuition and other fees. Their levels of education are often poor and roots are exogenetic. Most of the teachers are not trained. The concept of free education also went in to wilderness

It is true that this system provided employment opportunities for many younger people who could not find employment in the public sector, retired teachers who found it difficult to meet their ends due to  meager pensions and schools for children who could not find a school to go, lucrative business for the entrepreneurs.  It became a money spinner for them. These are the positive sides of this new venture. But the damage it does to a nation is beyond comprehension and irretrievable.

Therefore it is high time for the authorities to completely review the wisdom of this system. Either close them down before they completely ruin the future generation and finally the country or bring them under a consistent policy of national education by laying down strict rules and regulations and meticulous supervision. This subject needs a thorough study before one take any action to bring about reforms. It is even worthwhile appointing a Presidential Commission to go in to this mess with a view to finding a permanent or at least a viable solution to this national problem, before it becomes intractable.

I invite the immediate attention of experts in education who love this country to focus their highest attention to this problem