Change Independence Day To Sri Lanka Day; The Day Free Education Scheme Was Passed
By Lacille de Silva –February 5, 2018
“The spurt in education which propelled Sri Lanka to achieve a high level of social development began even before the country gained independence” It further adds – “Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara who held the portfolio of education during this whole period is one person responsible for initiating a series of educational reforms that created a lasting influence on the history of this country”. (Education First, Ministry of Education).
The ‘Education Ordinance, No. 31 of 1939’ – a comprehensive ordinance covering all aspects of education to lay the foundation for a national system of education, was initially introduced purely on the initiative of the first Minister of Education Minister C.W.W. Kannangara (1931 -1947). This remains the basic law of Education in Sri Lanka to-date. After much debate, steps had been taken by Dr. Kannangara to introduce the Free Education Scheme embracing primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Free education is the sole contributory factor that energized the social upliftment in the country.
The then Indian Government’s representative in Ceylon, who had walked up to the then Minister of Education, Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, after he was able to get the approval for his Educational Reforms Bill, in the State Council had said – “Sir, You would be worshiped as a God if you had been in India”. It is time we Sri Lankans start worshipping Kannangara like a God. Kannangara belonged to the old breed of true patriotic national leaders. He was popularly known as the ‘father of free education’. Let me request all of you to call him the ‘Father of the Nation’, who had sacrificed his whole life to give us ‘FREE EDUCATION’. He was virtually the greatest benefactor, who had committed himself tirelessly for a nation-wide project, based on egalitarian principles to eradicate the unjust system that existed then and to install the free education scheme – “The Pearl of Free Education”. His goal was to ensure a genuine democratisation of education through the provision of equal opportunities for all the children irrespective of social class, economic condition, religion and ethnicity. He had stressed that a curriculum was needed for every child in the country to develop his “head, heart and hands”. Kannangara had emphasised the need to develop (1) Academic knowledge (2) Aesthetic values and (3) Practical skills.
As the Minister-in-charge of Education Dr. Kannangara was responsible for implementation of the following:
2. To make the National Languages the media of instruction in place of English so that opportunities of higher education and lucrative employment, which was available only for the urban elite, would be open to all others as well;
3. To rationalise the school system with equity and equality , so that educational provision is efficient and economical and accessible to every child;
4. To ensure that every child is provided with instructions in the religion of his/her parents, and is not taught any other except with the concurrence of the parents;
5. To protect teachers from exploitation by owners/managers of privately owned educational institutions as the profession of teaching had to be accorded with dignity and respect if schools were to be well-staffed with dedicated teachers, and teacher training;
6. To make adequate provision for adult education;
7. Establishment of Central schools (since 1941(1941 3; 1945 – 35; 1950 – 50)) in locations outside major cities to provide high quality secondary education to the rural outstations;
8. Primary schools in every village within 2 miles;
10. Established the University of Ceylon, first fully fledged degree granting university, by the Ceylon University Ordinance 20 of 1942;
11. Upgraded Pirivenas, educational establishments of Buddhist Monks;
12. Increased educational opportunities for girls;
13. Abolished the practice (two tier school system)where English was taught to privileged students and the vernacular language to rural masses and introduced teaching English to the masses. His aim was to provide English Education to the rural poor through Central Schools, without discrimination;
Dr. Kannangara always steadfastly had stood up his grounds, I quote – “……No man should be insensitive to public opinion in discharging a public trust…. I shall do nothing else; not wave one bit. I shall do my duty according to the dictates of my conscience”. Dr. Kannangara had bulldozed his way accordingly to eradicate inequality that existed in the society then. He had only been interested in everything that was beneficial to the people. Owing to this reason, Sri Lanka had been able to achieve the status of a country with one of the highest literacy rates among developing nations as a result of the free education system. This no doubt was a landmark achievement, which opened the door for lower and middle class categories to reach their upward social mobility.
