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Ruling politicians claim to have provided education facilities for rural children to learn computer technology, English and technology, thus assuring them of a bright future. But in the common man’s experience, popular schools are meant for the children of affluent parents and those with political connections
Previously, a Government Minister informed that the unemployment rate in Sri Lanka decreased to 4.10% in the fourth quarter of 2013. In the Free Trade Zones of Katunayake, Biyagama and Koggala, over 15,000 vacancies exist.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Technology and Research Patali Champika Ranawaka, delivering the keynote address at the seventh biennial conference on science and technology, noted that Sri Lanka had entered the middle income territory way back in 1998, and was still trapped within this bracket.
Complacent labour
Is there a real labour shortage in the country? During the daytime, hundreds of men loiter by the roadsides and near boutiques, practically doing nothing; and women, around the schools. A person is only considered unemployed only if one seeks employment and 
an opportunity does not exist. These persons are not interested in working, are not considered as unemployed.
Most organisations have signboards outside indicating vacancies; even those without signboards would inform that they too need staff upon enquiry. Large construction sites depend on labour suppliers to get their requirement, who in turn scout them from rural villages or from up-country tea estates.
According to 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Sri Lanka has the least number of hungry people in South Asia; the number of people going hungry has steadily declined. This means that, though Sri Lankans do not work, they are better fed. One counts more obese people on the streets than malnourished. How can this situation be possible?
Global Innovation Index
Meanwhile, according to Global Innovation Index Sri Lanka, which enjoyed the relatively high position of 58 in 2009 for an Asian country, has been progressively dropping every year to 71 in 2010 and 82, 94, 98 in 2011, 2012, 2013 and finally to 105th position in 2014 out of 142 countries.
Conflicting reports
Central Bank officials paint a rosy picture for the future, but the politicians speak of poor innocent people without employment, the high cost of living, the cost of vegetables and food. Trade unions shout of the rising cost of living and of workers – unable to manage with the current salary – wishing for an increase in pay. Roadside posters from trade unions claim a family of four needs over Rs. 52,000 per month to cover expenses. The layman is bewildered by the conflicting reports given by various groups.
Ruling politicians claim to have provided education facilities for rural children to learn computer technology, English and technology, thus assuring them of a bright future. But in the common man’s experience, popular schools are meant for the children of affluent parents and those with political connections.
Even children successful in the Grade 5 exam find there are no vacancies in popular schools, as they have already been filled. The so-called free education has become a myth, with parents being called upon to pay under various pretexts such as improving classrooms, school electricity bills, sports expenses, etc.
World Bank report
A report by Halil Dundar, a lead education specialist at the World Bank, informs: “Sri Lanka’s workforce lacks critical job-specific skills that are in high demand, threatening the country’s sustained economic growth.”
According to the report, the workforce lacks technical, job-specific skills and soft skills that are in high demand, undermining private sector growth as well as the Government’s ambitious development plan to transform the country into a hub of commerce, energy and knowledge.
Skills development is complex and happens over a lifetime, says the report, beginning in early childhood and continuing through formal schooling, technical and vocational education and training, higher education, and on the job. An integrated approach to skills formation that covers the entire education and training system from early childhood through the workplace is crucial.
The report continues: “The country’s economy has shifted from agriculture to industry and services, leading to substantial shifts in labour and skills requirements. But school curricula, technical education and vocational training programs have not evolved adequately to meet changing demands, resulting in a large skills gap and mismatch in the labour force. But the education and training system does not produce skills relevant to market needs, and the lack of adequate skills is a major constraint on operating and expanding businesses.”
Government action
The President, presenting the 2013 Budget, stated: “We must target 80% enrolment in secondary education as well as literacy in computer technology, mathematics, science and English among our children. We also need to ensure that 40 percent enter vocational and technical education.”
The President proposed to allocate Rs. 1,600 million to set up 20 Technical Colleges attached to Vocational Technical University Colleges that will accommodate 50,000 Advanced Level students. The Budget also proposed to increase the annual intake for two-year diploma programs in Agricultural Training Schools’ from current 400 to 1,500.
The above shows that the Government has accepted that skills shortage is a major obstacle to country’s aspiration to reach high levels and the Government’s proposal to achieve the objective. How deep rooted is the problem and is the Government’s action sufficient to address the problem? The situation is investigated below.
Vocational training
The Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training (MVTT), is responsible for the development and implementation of policies related to skills development, and has introduced the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) System, categorising training into seven levels, 1 to 4 for craftsmen given National certificates, levels 5 and 6 are Diploma level and level 7 being equivalent to a Degree. Several agencies fall under MVTT including NAITA, UNIVOTEC, DTET and VTA.
The National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) is responsible for the apprenticeship training programs nationwide. NAITA claims to have 15,000 trainees under its aegis. The University of Technology (UNIVOTEC) was formed by the conversion of The National Institute for Technical Education in 2009 and is expected to conduct Level 7 degree courses including degree courses for training instructors, for teaching in Colleges of Technology.
There are 10 Colleges of Technology and 28 Technical Colleges under the Department of Technical Education and Training (DTET), that offer National Certificates and Advanced Diplomas in Engineering Technician, Engineering Craft and Business Studies, offering NVQ Levels 5 and 6, with a total teaching staff of around 810 and an annual training intake of 22,500 students.
The Vocational Training Authority (VTA) offers skills training through a network of training centres such as National Vocational Training Institutes, District Vocational Training Centres, Special Vocational Training Centres and Rural Vocational Training Centres. The Vocational Training Authority (VTA) claims to have 209 Training Centres with 27,000 trainees.
Results of training
With so much of training offered by the Government, one would expect to have a high level of trained personnel in the market. But the ground situation is completely different, why? The agencies that are expected to train the young persons, unfortunately, have failed in their duties. Proper training needs to include curricula fulfilling industry requirements, workshops and equipment suited for each course, training methods and competent teachers. Government funding could supply workshops and equipment, but competent teachers cannot be produced overnight.
Currently, there are no courses of study producing quality teachers. The professionals in the industry lack basic educational qualifications. The absence of accredited personnel has allowed dubious persons with political connections to be recruited as teachers. In a Vocational Training Centre to the south of Colombo, the lecturer in masonry is a lady.
UNIVOTEC, which was expected to conduct degree course for training instructors, is yet to produce a single graduate. Until the level of teaching and equipment for training is raised to acceptable levels their output will continue to be mediocre. But is there a program to enhance their standards and what is the future of existing lecturers?
Trainees to be trained
Hundreds of thousands of youth aspire to enter the universities, most following courses of study without any demand from the society or industry, with the hope of getting State employment after graduation.
For small workshops, businesses, traders, shops and house builders, finding labour to fill vacancies is a huge problem. For a country with hundreds of thousands of employable youths as well as married women who could contribute to development but who choose to remain idle, this is a huge problem that needs addressing.
Ground situation
Large numbers of unemployed are not due to lack of opportunities, but due to sheer laziness. They survive due to the largess of the people around them, who support them – not really willingly – but as circumstances and local customs have dictated.
Decades ago, housewives had to fetch water from the well, collect and split firewood, care for the vegetable garden and cook over a wood-fire, which kept them busy; children, too, were expected to help the mother. Now, as the quality of life has improved, household chores have become simple.
Children do no household work or their own work either. Homework expected to train the children in basic skills are completed by the mothers. Children hardly play, as tuition classes and home work does not permit play time. Parents imagine their child becoming a doctor, an engineer or an AGA, a dream encouraged by successive waves of politicians, especially during election times.
At school, while some children excel in studies, others cannot keep pace. The teachers rush to cover the syllabus and have no time for laggers. Those who fail in the education system end up being selfish, stubborn with no skills.
Sri Lanka boasted of free education since the 1940s and our educated were world recognised. The introduction of Sinhala/Tamil as medium of instruction since the late 1950s, and the refusal to upgrade course materials caused standards to drop until local degrees are no longer acceptable internationally. Today in 2014, only the University of Colombo has qualified to be among the ‘Top 300 Asian Universities,’ apart from the world. But the vision in Budget 2015 is by 2020 to place our universities among the top 30 in Asia, an almost impossible task.
Our students are more concerned about politics than about education. Not a week passes without a protest by university students. The latest is the protests from the Sabaragamuwa University. When the University was opened a decade ago, no one took notice. However, when the first two year graduates were snapped up by the private sector, it caught the public eye. JVP also recognised the new member and focused; results are visible.
When Malambe’s private medical university students were allowed to use Government hospitals for clinical practice, Anuradhapura Medical School’s students took to roads in protest. But the fact that their eight-year-old university has only one Medical Professor was not a concern.
University teaching
Our universities’ teachings have not changed over the decades. The lecturers deliver the same notes received from their own professors; their excuse was poor salaries. But salaries have been upgraded. A recent press notice from Jaffna University indicated a Senior Professor’s salary commences at a basic of Rs. 67,100, which becomes Rs. 185,615 per month with allowances.
The grumblings of the university teachers have stopped, but the quality of teaching remains the same. The 2015 Budget has further increased university lecturers’ allowances. Universities need to introduce courses addressing the needs of the industry, in small numbers per course, to produce employable graduates in demand. The current practice of having hundreds of students in a university class needs to stop immediately.
Home environment
Today’s unemployed mothers contribute poorly to the family income and hang on to children to show their importance, resulting in pampered children without basic skills who are mentally not prepared for employment. Children also get their basic expense monies from the family. How could this situation be corrected?
There need to be a pressure on the family to force the child to seek employment. The politicians’ speeches of poor unfortunate people worsen the situation and any Government help for poor needs to be targeted. The recent 25% reduction of electricity charges to low consuming customers, directs them to spend more time in front of the TV and not towards productive purposes.
Part-time employment
Our labour laws do not encourage part time employment, but if suitably modified, would allow opportunities for university students, youngsters and non-working mothers to be involved in part-time employment. Subcontracting in manufacturing of low skilled work to housewives and even the elderly would improve household income. The Government could help by offering tax incentives for such ventures.
Compulsory education
The Government insists on compulsory school education up to 16 years, but large numbers of children who are unable to cope up with the race drop out and are neglected by the teachers. They are automatically promoted each year and become a nuisance to others.
The Grade 8 exam was abolished in 1956 and those who do not have the capacity continue in school. The O/L examination failures amount to over 30%, leave homes claiming to attend tuition classes, are supported by families, and end up in corruptive practices. This time-wasting period without productive occupation for 13 to 17 year olds is the biggest contributor for reluctance towards accepting employment.
To correct the situation, Grade 8 examination need to be reintroduced and those who are not suited to higher education need to be admitted to trade schools offering basic training in masonry, carpentry, painting, motor mechanism, agriculture etc for boys and sewing, textile weaving, handicrafts, cookery, agriculture, etc., for girls, giving them insight into trades so that the boys and girls could select a vocation for further training. The government would have to increase training facilities to accommodate increased demand.
The weaning of uninterested students at Grade 8 and directing them to learn a trade would make them useful citizens and not a burden to the society. The approach will improve the labour supply to industry and trade; and will reduce the number of women seeking low level jobs in the Middle East.
Skills development
The Government introducing facilities for literacy in computer technology, mathematics, science and English is laudable, but how about teachers? Attempts to introduce computer technology fail due to poor English.
The biggest failure in school and university education is the lack of proficiency in English among the lecturers and teachers. Although the problem was visible for a long time, the country has not converted even a single teachers’ college into the English medium. Universities continue to conduct courses in Sinhala/Tamil. First the lecturers in the Universities and the Teacher’s Colleges need to be proficient in English, so that they could conduct lectures in English medium.
When C.W.W. Kannangara proposed free education, he did not envisage Sinhala/Tamil medium education beyond Grade V. With the students reaching higher classes, they need to have a transition from the mother tongue to English.
Political bungling
The Minister of Education informed the Parliament recently that the international schools have stopped teaching history since 2009; the reason being that the Ministry has issued a circular to the international schools instructing them to teach history only in the mother tongue of the students.
The parents understand the value of English. Not every student following classes in so-called international school is from a rich family; it is only that they appreciate the value of an English-based education for the future. It is the politicians who advocate masses to teach their children in the mother tongue, while educating their own in English. The politicians do not wish to be unpopular with the teachers and lecturers by instructing them to achieve English proficiency, which would enable them to provide an English medium education to children.
However, some officials in the Ministries understand the importance of English and it is being introduced, slowly in stages. They are careful not to upset the politicians and Buddhist priests who consider that proficiency in English among masses would reduce their importance.
The slow pace in implementation means that millions of children miss out on English competency and the related avenues of employment. The Government’s ambitious plans to transform the country into an innovative, computer based society, energy, knowledge hub and turning Sri Lanka into a high middle income country would be only a dream.
(The writer is a Chartered Civil Engineer graduated from Peradeniya University and has been employed in Sri Lanka and abroad. He was General Manager of State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka. He can be contacted on [email protected].)
