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English medium plan alive despite objections

29 Jun 2021

  • Education Ministry determined to proceed

  • Demand from international school students’ parents: Education Secratary 

  • Bandula, teachers’ union, and Rathana Thera object

  By Dinitha Rathnayake   The newly proposed English medium study programme, commencing from the primary section to the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) examination, will have a positive impact on the society and the Ministry intends to continue with it as planned, claimed Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera. Speaking to The Morning, he said that the Ministry is still considering implementing this programme, despite the objections of a few. “I think that this programme would minimise the social gap in our society. We have seen this from top to bottom where most of the members of the younger generation are set aside due to the lack of English knowledge. This also affects the job market. It is sad to see objections to this programme where most of the people who made their concerns known had taught their children in the English medium,” Prof. Perera added. Before these objections, it was decided to obtain the recommendations of the committee of experts currently appointed by the Education Ministry regarding the provision of English medium education in schools islandwide, and the steps to be taken to start such schools at the provincial level as a pilot project. Based on the success of the pilot project, the facility will be provided to all students islandwide. According to Prof. Perea, there is a constant demand from parents who send their children to international schools that they be afforded the opportunity to admit their children to the public school system as it is difficult to pay their monthly school fees due to economic problems. “The problem here is that these children study in the English medium from the primary section to the A/L. But there are very few English medium schools in the government school system. Even those teach only ‘core’ subjects. Therefore, we believe that a permanent solution should be found to this,” he explained. The project was to provide English medium education to be implemented in line with the 1,000 National Schools Programme and the Trilingual Schools Programme. Former Education and Higher Education Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana is the most high-profile party to object to the Education Ministry’s plans to implement a pilot project to introduce the English medium for all subjects from the primary level to the A/L. Gunawardana told the media that it was essential for children to be taught the official languages of the country during their primary education. The official languages are Sinhala and Tamil with English being the link language. Soon after the announcement made by Ministry of Education Secretary Kapila Perera earlier this month, that consideration has been given to providing English medium education from Grade 1 at schools islandwide, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe told The Morning that the Government’s plan to implement this programme is “totally unacceptable”.  “In any country, primary education should be provided in the mother tongue, especially in accordance with globally accepted standards. The decision taken by the Ministry of Education to provide education in the English medium in such a backdrop was not logical or scientific at all, and it was doubtful whether the decision was taken in the interest of any party.”  Jayasinghe further said that a formal programme should be implemented to restore the education system, which has been disrupted due to the prevailing situation, before the commencement of English medium education.  Meanwhile, commenting on the Government’s plans to provide school education in English from the primary level, Our Power of People’s Party (OPPP) MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera claimed it was an attempt to convert Sri Lankan citizens to citizens of another country. “Students’ English knowledge should be developed, but primary education must be provided in the Sinhala language. There is no problem in teaching in the English medium after the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination, but primary education must be provided in the mother tongue. Providing the entire education system in English or any other language in this manner would be the greatest harm that someone can do to the nation,” the Thera told The Morning earlier this month.


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