Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has declared that private tuition, at all levels, would be banned during normal school hours (7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.), shortly. He also opined that attending tuition classes from the kindergarten to Grade 13 has become almost a fashion today rather than a learning exercise. According to the minister the National Education Commission (NEC) has proposed the setting up of a State body to monitor and streamline private tuition since this was now a major industry generating over Rs. 1 billion a month. The necessity has also arisen to check on the qualifications of the so called tuition ‘Sirs’ following findings by the NEC that a majority of them did not measure up to the required standards.
The minister’s proposal no doubt is commendable but he is bound to face stiff resistance, both, from parents and the purveyors of the private tuition industry. To begin with, unlike in the past when teaching was considered a noble profession and teachers worked with dedication, in the present day they are a frustrated lot, chiefly due to poor emoluments and other hardships such as been subjected to arbitrary transfers and they do as little as they possibly can in the classroom to the great detriment of their charges. Besides, teachers too are in the thick of the private tuition industry as depicted in the many posters advertising their services where they never fail to mention their standing in some of the popular schools in the country.
Another reason why parents are keen on sending their children for private tuition is the present mad rush to come on top in the all island list in the GCE (OL/AL) results and also the Year 5 scholarship examination, giving credence to the minister’s claim that the children are being sent for private tuition from the kindergarten to Grade 13, after a fashion. The wide publicity given in the media to the successful students, no doubt, has egged on the parents to do whatever is needed to get their children on the pedestal. Besides, the vast expansion in the field of education, the introduction of totally new subjects such as information technology and computer science, which did not figure in the past, has made it easy for the private education enterprises to flourish and for pretenders and charlatans to cash in on the demand, as per the National Education Commission findings.
Hence, private tuition has come to stay, whether one likes it or not, like any other enterprise under the culture of the open economy solely operating for profit, while professing to render a service through catering to the demands of the modern generation of school goers. Hence, what has to be done is rather than attempt to dislodge this industry, to monitor the activities of all such enterprises to ensure the seekers of this facility are not duped. The appointment of a State body to oversee the activities of private tuition enterprises therefore is a move in the right direction. It should begin by carrying out thorough checks on the professed qualification and competence of the instructors of private education institutions. Close watch should also be made on the conduct of the students at these institutions. This is because there had been reports that these private tuition classes have been convenient meeting places for young school going couples. There have also been allegations that drugs are used by students attending these classes.
Be that as it may, parents who are fixated on the academic success of their offspring should also not ignore the health aspect. An overdose of book learning, round the clock, could be detrimental to both mind and body. Like the minister noted, today children run helter-skelter for private tuition classes after school, leaving them hardly any time for any physical activity. It is increasingly been reported in health circles that incidents of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure in young adolescents had witnessed a steep rise in recent times chiefly brought about by obesity which is a direct result of lack of exercise. While every parent will wish to have a “bright” son or daughter, they should also not ignore the concept of healthy mind in a healthy body.
That Murali doosra
Spin legend and world record holder for the most number of test wickets Muttiah Muralitharan hit the nail on the head when he said politicians have destroyed Sri Lanka cricket. His views, no doubt, will be shared by a majority of Lankan cricket fans who have the best interest of Sri Lanka cricket at heart. In an interview with the Economic Times of India Murali, as he is known in the cricketing world, to a question by the interviewer on what is wrong with Sri Lanka cricket said; “To tell you the truth, Sri Lanka cricket is currently in a mess. Politicians have taken over the game and with little or no knowledge of the game they are destroying the institution with each passing day”.
Most people would say that it is the politicians who have messed up “everything” in this country since Independence. It was only a matter of time before the gentleman’s game too would be made inroads into.
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