Editorial - Corruption in education sector

9 December 2013 08:46 pm - 1 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

There is a vast gap between popular schools in major cities and small schools in remote villages in the country, with some popular schools having even swimming pools while the children of remote schools don’t even have access to drinking water to quench their thirst.
This was why the late C.W.W. Kannangara as Education Minister started 54 Central Colleges around the country in 1940s with a view to absorbing at least the cream of those underprivileged schools into an advanced system of learning.

For the purpose of screening such students, he introduced the scholarships at grades 5 and 8.
Some seventy years later, now the gap between the privileged and underprivileged schools seems to have widened further and with the grade 8 scholarship having long been scrapped, the year 5 scholarship examination has become a life and death struggle for many students who aspire to get a slot in a popular school. However, the latest reports say that politicians have started to plunder their opportunities.

Last Wednesday the Daily Mirror reported that the politically sponsored admissions of schoolchildren have sharply reduced classroom space for Grade 5 scholarship winners to enter leading schools such as Royal College, Vishaka Vidyalaya and Nalanda College in Colombo and Dharmaraja College in Kandy. Primary section classrooms in popular schools have been filled with students admitted on the influence of politicians and powerful individuals with some class rooms having 56 students despite the maximum number being 45, it further said.

The news story brought to light that only 148 students could be admitted to Royal College in Colombo this year, based on the scholarship exam results whereas this number was 180 last year. The figure at VishakaVidyalaya, Colombo has slid down to 99 this year from 135 students admitted last year. NalandaVidyalaya in Colombo has the capacity to admit only 93 students against the number of 135 students admitted last year. Interestingly not even a single student may be admitted to Dharmaraja College in Kandy this year, according to the story. This situation vividly indicates the corruption prevailing in the education sector.

On the same day there was a news report which said that widespread corruption has affected Sri Lanka most adversely during the last 12 months and the country has slid down by 12 places from last year’s rank of 79 to 91 this year among 117 countries worldwide, according to the annual Global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency international (TI) last week. For the past several years the TI reports have been pointing out that the education sector, judiciary and the police in Sri Lanka were competing for the top three most corrupt slots. The account on the plundering of places that have to be spared for the poor scholarship winners is a case in point on corruption in the education sector.

"This was why the late C.W.W.Kannangara as Education Minister started 54 Central Colleges around the country"

However, it is clear that plundering the opportunities of scholarship winners is wrong; it wouldn’t be realistic to make such demands in a country like Sri Lanka where politicians are considered a privileged breed of people that their children not be admitted to the popular schools.
At the same time the authorities, ironically many of whom had been one time scholarship winners, do not have the right to deprive the students from underprivileged schools of their due share of place in schools with facilities, even after they have qualified at a recognised tough national examination.It is the responsibility of the authorities to upgrade more schools while expanding opportunities in the existing leading schools, before impending unrest takes its toll.

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 1

darshana Tuesday, 20 May 2014 10:23 AM

that is best for people

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Editorial - Corruption in education sector

"This was why the late C.W.W.Kannangara as Education Minister started 54 Central Colleges around the country"

Comments - 1

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

‘Spike in blast fishing’ poses renewed threats to Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Most Viewed in News

Two racing drivers arrested over Fox Hill tragedy

A US “Kaputa”, a Lankan “Nariya” and a Presidential “Feast”

New Visa procedure implemented

Complaint lodged over Piumi Hansamali's possession of Gota’s Range Rover

Ranil Wickremesinghe caravan moves on despite barking dogs

SL on alert on possible genocide allegations by Canada

MIRROR CRICKET

Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings

Chamari Athapaththu sets big goal for T20 World Cup

How does CSK get best out of Pathirana?

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings

TODAY'S HEADLINES

SL took minimal steps to punish officials who committed human rights abuses: US report

Iranian President’s visit Sri Lanka withstands western pressure

25 tons of solid waste disposed along Sri Pada route

Temperature rises to ‘Caution’ level

Sri Lanka secures third spot in South Asian Kurash Championship 2024

Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings

Army forms committee to probe Diyatalawa Fox Hill Supercross accident

Indian cricket manager indicted for Legend Cricket League match-fixing allegations