Book Review: An Educator’s Perception of what is wrong with our Educational System

Goolbai Gunasekara’s latest book, The ‘Principal’ Factor, is a collection of articles written several years ago for the Lanka Monthly Digest (LMD).   It seems to be a sequel to her previous book titled “It’s The ‘Principal’ of it. I read that book last year during the initial lockdown. I was enthralled because many of what she had deemed wrong with our educational system, together with her views on the type of discipline enforced in schools, resonated with my thinking. 

Goolbai is certainly not the archetype of a Sri Lankan school Principal. In my experience, many Principals tend to be dogmatic and strict disciplinarians and rarely practice what they preach to their students. They even treat the parents as children! In one of the chapters, she concludes, “In fact, leniency is often the better way to go. Principals should learn to act outside the box. It pays.” Reading through both the books, I regret that neither of my two daughters attended a school of which she was the Principal. I am sure they would have enjoyed her modern and broad-minded approach towards teaching and school discipline. No doubt they would have passed out far better prepared to face the challenges of the contemporary world.

The book consists of 55 short chapters, and each of them consists of forthright and insightful observations and comments. Each chapter is three to four pages on average, making the observations precise and easily understood. In addition, in several chapters, she has used real examples she encountered during her 50 years as a teacher and Principal to drive home the contentious point. That itself makes reading the book so much more enjoyable, authentic and educative. 

Although the book is not a blueprint for overhauling the much-maligned educational system, it provides several vital pointers of what is wrong. I would boldly say that the book should be mandatory reading for all those involved in policy-making and the educational system. I would also recommend that parents, students, and the public read this book. It would benefit them greatly. There are many nuggets of great wisdom that will serve the reader well in dealing with challenges as a teacher, parent, or student. 

"Goolbai is certainly not the archetype of a Sri Lankan school Principal. In my experience, many Principals tend to be dogmatic and strict disciplinarians and rarely practice what they preach to their students. They even treat the parents as children!"

The book covers a wide range of topics from what is wrong with our educational system, the challenge of choosing a school under the area rule, why ragging can be stopped, whether poor schooling is the cause for student tantrums in our universities, the unsuitability of the school “House” and “Prefect” system, student suicide, the dire state of our universities and unemployed graduates and many others. Each of them is analysed perceptively and for many practical solutions given. 

An aspect to be admired about Goolbai is that she calls a spade a spade that is not part of our Sri Lankan DNA. I assume this is a quality that she has acquired from her famous American born mother, Deshabandu Clara Motwani, who made Sri Lanka her home. The book deals directly and incisively with several controversial issues where even angels would fear to tread! I am sure that the few enlightened politicians, senior bureaucrats, and corporate leaders would privately agree wholeheartedly with her but would be reluctant to say so in public for fear of a backlash.  

In the chapter titled- ‘Attitude’ Reform in Universities, she writes “The decision at that time to give free education at University level was perhaps the greatest mistake ever made in the field of education.” She points out that her mother, who gave evidence in front of the committee set up by the government to formulate guidelines for the new system, had argued against free university education and had pointed out that in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Europe who all provided free education at secondary level but none of them was stupid enough to do what Sri Lanka did. She says that most Arts graduates are unemployable and question how they got into the universities in the first place. She believes that they are neither socially mature nor have they been intellectually challenged and concludes by saying that our graduates have been brought up to believe that the state owes them free higher education and owes them a job at the end of it. I worked in the private sector for nearly three decades, mainly in a senior management position. I was involved in the interview and selection of potential employees and can vouch for 100 per cent with what Goolbai has stated. 

The chapter “Of course Ragging can be stopped” is an insightful and no holds bar analysis of the government and university authorities’ failure to put an end to this sadistic ritual that traumatises so many freshers. She laments that despite writing about the need to stamp out ragging for the last 30 years, no one has reached out to her or like-minded teachers and Principals to discuss possible solutions. She does acknowledge that even when she entered the University of Bombay, there was ‘gentlemanly” ragging. However, they were not comparable to the cruel and vicious types perpetrated presently. She proposes that every entrant to university is made to sign a form agreeing to instant expulsion if they engage in anti-social activities. In a country where the government and the public servants have perfected the art of prevaricating, I am unsure how effective this would be but still worth a trial.  
The chapter on “Student Suicide” is hugely perceptive, and she lay the blame squarely on the overwhelming pressure the child is subjected to by parents, teachers, principals, and peers. She has identified the “exam-culture” of the country, which makes academic failure a yardstick to judge the child. She recommends that examination results achieved by students are not made public as they are a private matter, and only exceptional results are made public in case the student has no objection.

The chapter on “The Prefect System” that prevails in schools is so relevant, especially to parents who, as the author says, “get into the act and begin pressuring staff and Principal alike in all sorts of subtle (and not so subtle) ways for a few months before the choices are made. The competition amongst parents is horrendous.” Based on her experience, she has explained many disadvantages of the prefect system and calls for either the total abolishing of the system or completely overhauling it.

The book is written in an easy to read and absorb style. A facet of her writing that I love is her innate sense of humour. At times we tend to assume that a Principal and a disciplinarian will not be blessed with a good sense of humour. Having read a few other books that Goolbai has authored, I can vouch for her sense of humour, which occasionally surfaces in this book. She also can write with candour about possible relationships of the same sex that at times prevail amongst school children in a very modern and understanding way which further amplifies her broad-mindedness.   
 I hope all our schools will ensure that several copies of the book are made available in the school library and hope that the book will also be translated to both Sinhala and Tamil.