Removing Year 5 Scholarship Exam from 2016 a National Calamity
Posted on December 19th, 2013
Dilrook Kannangara
Students who have done well in Year 5 Scholarship Exam have no vacancy in good schools they deserve to attend. This is because politicians have filled those vacancies with their henchmen’s children. It is a grave injustice not only to deserving students but also to taxpayers who finance the education ministry. However, instead of fixing the problem, the ministry has decided to remove the Year 5 Scholarship Exam altogether! Thereafter only politicians’ catchers and their henchmen will decide who gets a good education while the common man and the talented will be condemned to underfinanced and dilapidated schools. While the talented students languish in underprivileged schools unable to reach their true potential, the unintelligent and talentless students who occupy limited good schools will not make use of the facilities. This is a national calamity.
In order to justify this national rip-off, state media and the ministry have been harping on the adverse effects of the Year 5 Scholarship Exam. It is true it is taking a huge toll on students, however, the solution is to increase secondary school budget allocation so that there will be more good schools for a larger number of students. There is no such solution offered.
Sri Lanka offers little for its future generation which has resulted in mass migration of skilled workers. With secondary education and resultantly tertiary education too in jeopardy, things will worsen. Those who can afford to send their children to international schools and those who can migrate waste no time trying to build a future for their children in Sri Lanka.
Politicisation of everything under the sun from schools to the judiciary comes at a hefty price tag. It is a new addition to the corruption, poverty, economic stagnation and crime vicious cycle. Once in motion, there is no stopping the rapid degeneration of the nation.
December 19th, 2013 at 3:11 pm
ALL THESE POLITICAL RASCALS WILL PAY FOR IT SOMEDAY.
December 19th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
Its not the rascals that pay, it is the nation and its bright youngsters..
Corruption in SL has gone to a new height..
December 19th, 2013 at 3:42 pm
prinicipals who take bribes must be catrated
December 19th, 2013 at 3:43 pm
prinicipals who take bribes must be castrated
December 19th, 2013 at 8:47 pm
Yesterday I was listening to a teacher teaching o/L commerce paper for last minute review to two private tution students. I was shocked to learn that dreaded “Palaath Sabha” is being taught as an absolute authority in state governing system. Looks like Maha Ranee is determined to keep it to increase his Kudu selling PC henchiyyas.
Main cancer affecting our mother land is the rubbish Pallath Sabha nonsence. It increases the number of beggers begging for vote, after vote the beggars become “POLITICIANS” and given further respectable title by idiotic media as “Law Makers”. Their numbers growing. Their KUdu business growing. Their supporter gangs, uderworld bases growing and these are the “GRASS ROOTS” of leadership.
Onthe other side of it TNA PC bastards are allowed tell the world virtually “ANYTHING”, even Buddha can be a Tamil lived in Jaffna. They bring in illegal monkeys in large numbers to increase their “grassroots”.
In summary, we are doomed. We have to await a military man to take over and hopefully not another Kalawedda.
No hopes.
In summary, we are doomed.
December 19th, 2013 at 8:49 pm
It is the “old boys” or “old girls” unions that organise the bribing system. Not the principal alone. Politicians are involved inese union too. Pincipals are paid by them. Go against them, principal is framed somehow.
December 20th, 2013 at 1:51 am
Oh! where are we heading? down the pallam. Are we in a wrong tunnel as we can’t see the light at the end of it?
Mr Minister ( I can’t use the salutation ‘Honorable’ because I have never heard of any honest politician in Sri Lanka), you cut off the nose to spite the face.
December 20th, 2013 at 5:31 am
Fifth standard scholarships were started in late forties to select students from poor families who could not afford to have a proper secondary education and to send them to boarding houses to study in Central Collogues that were built in places that there were no proper educational institutions. If I remember correct the family income has to be less than a Rupees 20 a month or less. The 20 rupees were paid to the hostel that was managed by school. The proof of income was a statutory declaration and a letter from the Village Headman (Gammuladeniya, long before the Grama Sevakas). The rich kids also could go to the Central Schools and even get board by paying the boarding fees to the Central School.
The whole thing was turned upside down by Dr Dahanayake the Minister of Education of SWRD government. He changed it f5th year to 8th year. The deprivation of a proper education for the poor started with SWRD’s 1956 and was directed by the Indians.
December 20th, 2013 at 5:51 am
5th year scholarship were part of the Dr Kannagara’s education revolution for mainly the Sinhala poor. He built Central colleges in poor areas of the country and offered 5th year scholarships to poor students to attend Central Colleges. The central colleges had Hostels built for students. The scholarship was worth about 10 rupees a month and clothing for the year. The parents income per month has to be less than 20 rupees a month and they had to make a statutory declaration and get a letter from the Gammuladeniya to prove their income is less than 20 rupees a month. The 10 rupees paid for the board at the Central Collge and it was run by the Collge.
The rot of the education for the poor started with Dr W Dahanayake the Minister of Education of SWRD’s government. He introduced 8th year scholarship and most of the kids who got those scholarships were not poor. They were mainly children of government servants and supporters of the government.
December 20th, 2013 at 11:45 am
Leading schools of Colombo ought to start “branches” in deserving outstation areas, with govt. help, of course ?
Then the Scholarship Program could continue without kids having to move to Colombo etc.
December 20th, 2013 at 12:39 pm
Dilrook you state “Students who have done well in Year 5 Scholarship Exam have no vacancy in good schools they deserve to attend. This is because politicians have filled those vacancies with their henchmen’s children. It is a grave injustice not only to deserving students but also to taxpayers who finance the education ministry.”
Interesting, it was not long ago you were advocating a merit-less system of entry into University but based on race.
December 20th, 2013 at 7:10 pm
@Marco
That is partly correct but not based on race; based on ethnicity.
In the school system equity among ethnic groups is already there. There are equitable number of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala schools. It is a reality. More importantly no student is denied secondary education just because they get lower marks.
This is not the case with universities. Only less than 2% of the student population gets to receive a taxpayer funded tertiary education and that is why it should be equitable for all ethnic groups. Within these ethnic groups it will be based on merit. For instance since there are 75% of Sinhalese in the nation, the biological faculties in total should have 75% Sinhalese. The streams within it will be based on merit (medical, veterinary, physical sciences, etc.).
December 20th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
Dilrook,
“Only less than 2% of the student population gets to receive a taxpayer funded tertiary education and that is why it should be equitable for all ethnic groups. ”
It is fair only if tax payers contribute in the same ethnic proportion. It is unnecessary. However, whether the students recieved same standard of education should be a factor to be considered in a merit based system.
What is important is “DO NOT ALLOW MINORITIES TO CHEAT AND FAVOUR THEIR RACE”. By imposing sever penalties such as freezing assest of the CHEATERs is a must.
Currnet problem is using language barrier Tamils cheat. Using politicians Saudis cheat. To Stop CHEATING Maha Rannee should lead by example. It is not happening. Ranee shields the Kuddos, fear of blackmail.
December 21st, 2013 at 9:39 am
Agree with Nanda re Cheating. Cheating defeats every purpose of Education and brings disrepute on the ethnic group doing such activities. Cheating is always discovered and this brings further distrust of those groups plus lowering of degree value. Is cheating worth all the trouble ?
It is better to have tech schools in every Province (at he moment Province), to absorb those who cannot get into the Universities. Lack of enough education facilities leading to job opportunities are the reasons for cheating.
Population control a must. the Neem tree (Kohomba tree) parts have proven to be highly effective in birth control with no side effects for both males and females.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:50 pm
Cheating by Tamils can NEVER be stopped.
It is FOOLISH to expect Tamils NOT to cheat or to STOP Tamils from cheating.
They cheat in exams (local and INTERNATIONAL – ACCA, CIMA), employment, qualifications, credit cards, VISA (humanitarian visa), politics, etc., etc.
It CANNOT be stopped. No matter all the police force is deployed you CANNOT stop Tamils from cheating. We have to find a WORK AROUND.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Fran,
DON’T propose birth control to Sinhalese. That CREATES problems.
Birth control must be done to TAMILS and MUSLIMS ONLY. Fix the problem not the healthy ones.
EPDP has a program of FORCED STERILIZATION of Tamil women. It should receive state support. IF done properly TNA will NOT have enough voters in time to come.