J'Pura protesters on Nugegoda fly over

Some 300 monks from the Student's Union of the Buddhist and Pali University are currently on a protest march in Nugegoda. The march began at the Sri Jayawardena University and will proceed to the University Grants Commission in Colombo.  A convener for the Student's Union said they were marching in protest against the authorities’ failure to address the issues in the university education system in the country.  “They have failed to hear us and address our problems. The freedom of students is gradually diminishing. If they won't hear our calls for support, then we shall continue to protest,” he said. (Olindhi Jayasundera)

Uni. non–academics threaten all–out strike

Will begin with token strike on Thursday, Friday

February 20, 2012, 10:36 pm , The Island.

by Dasun Edirisinghe

University non – academic staff, including administrative officers, will stage a 48-hour token strike on Feb. 23 and 24 against the government’s delay to rectify the anomalies in their salaries, as promised earlier.

President of the Inter University Trade Union Federation (IUTUF) R. Chandrapala told The Island last night that if the government does not respond to it, they would go for an all – out strike from Feb. 29.

"We met officers from the National Salaries and Cadre Commission two weeks ago and they promised to give their recommendations within two weeks to the University Grants Commission (UGC)," he said adding that as usual the NSCC had broken the promise.

Chandrapala said that all successive governments, after 2006, had failed to honour the pledges made to non-academics and the problem had worsened now.

"All staff, from registrars to labourers, would join the strike scheduled for Thursday and Friday," he said adding they would show their strength to the government and that universities couldn’t be run without their support.

The trade unionist said that Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake and Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne had promised to rectify their salary anomalies during several meetings recently, but so far they had not honoured their promise.

Chandrapala said that this time they would not give up their agitation and would cripple the universities until their demands were met.

Who’s teaching the teachers?

February 19, 2012, 7:41 pm , The Island.


By Douglas King

The 22nd annual Jayasuriya Memorial Lecture this year was presented by Narada Warnasuriya, former Vice Chancellor University of Sri Jayawardenapura. His topic, ‘Some reflections on Pre-school Education in Sri Lanka’ was far reaching as this essential component in education has not received the attention that it deserves. "The years from 3-5 are especially important for the achievement of key milestones in language acquisition, socialization and personality development." The National Survey of Child Development (2010) estimated that there were over 12,353 preschools with over half a million children. Three northern district were not included and it is likely that a number of schools were not registered for various reasons. Allowing for 15,000 schools and an average of three teachers at each school, this might indicate around 40-50 thousand teachers working in these centres. No accurate figures can be given as to the qualifications or experience of these teachers, but it can be assumed that a large number have no training or very minimum qualifications. Allowing for an attrition rate of only 5% would imply that at least 2000 new teachers are required each year. Where are these new teachers coming from?

In the main urban centres there are many private colleges offering courses and qualifications in Early Childhood Education. The majority of these are part time requiring attendance only for 1 or 2 days at weekends over a period ranging from 3 months to one year. This enables employed teachers to pursue a qualification, as well as giving teacher/lecturers from other institutions extra income through weekend work. Students completing these courses receive diplomas, but as to the quality of study and achievement there is little or no regulation. Failures are minimal and many such courses are financially very advantageous for the institutions which are essentially businesses. Another popular way to achieve a qualification is through the network of Montessori schools affiliated to the recognised Australian, British or American Montessori institutes. To obtain the qualification students usually work as assistant teachers while at the same time studying the formal aspects of Montessori education. This arrangement gives the school not only free teachers, but also a considerable income from the "course" fees. Only a minority of pre-schools in the country follow strict Montessori guidelines, so many of the graduates of these courses do not possess the broader and more useful Early Childhood Education content. No reliable figures are available as to the number of courses or students attending these courses.

Early Childhood Education

By far the largest and most recognized Early Childhood Education courses are conducted by the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) where well over 2000 students are registered for one of the three certificate or diploma courses offered. However, the completion rate for these courses is often less than 50%, either due to some mature students taking the courses purely out of interest and others who find the independent distant learning too difficult. The OUSL is to be commended for conducting these courses and giving many students and teachers an opportunity to receive official qualifications through the convenience of distance study at a very affordable fee. Education is a high priority for President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his vision of Sri Lanka becoming the "Educational Hub" of South Asia. In January 2010 the University Grants Commission initiated a "Subject Review Report" on the OUSL Department of Early Childhood Education. The full report was made available on the Internet. The review team comprised three professors from other universities and was "based on the Self Evaluation Report (SER) submitted by the Department of Early Childhood and Primary Education (ECPE) and supported by the information gathered from the three-day site visit made to the department".

Early Childhood Education is a highly specialized area and those holding academic qualifications in primary, secondary and tertiary education in general do not possess the "skills, attitude and knowledge" necessary to teach in preschools or to direct and participate in the training of such teachers. This is not to belittle their expertise but to question their suitability for imparting education for the 3-5 years age group. An effective pre-school teacher in the main does not teach but provides multifarious experiences whereby the child can be involved in opportunities for intellectual, aesthetic, social and physical activities according to maturational levels. In this respect the teacher is imparting knowledge and skills only indirectly. Music, drama, literacy, numeracy, art, craft, physical education, dance, religion, social skills, assessment, health and parental involvement are all part of the necessary skills and application needed for quality preschool teaching. If it is to be expected that qualified teachers have these important skills, then surely those that are to teach students must also be similarly equipped. Theoretical expertise can only be useful when applied to practice. It may be that "one gram of experience is worth one kilogram of theory".

The Subject Review Report referred to earlier is an interesting document and the three authoritative professors have made an important contribution to the content and value of the OUSL courses and recommendations for improvements. Part of their review relied on the Self Evaluation Report (SER) but however sincere this may have been, the limited professional staffing and self-interest does militate against some aspects of being objective. In addition, three days on-site assessment of the three main Centres, can only offer a superficial overview especially when conducted by distinguished academics but without deeper understanding of Early Childhood Education. "The administrative Head of Early Childhood and Primary Education has a doctoral degree and considerable experience as a senior member of the faculty in the Department of Secondary and Tertiary Education prior to her present appointment". Apart from her current responsibilities she also "supervises M Ed, M Phil and Ph D students in other departments of the faculty." No staff members conduct research related to the Early Childhood Education Department. Despite her considerable hard work, commitment and efforts to develop the three courses, three model schools and quality of instruction, this has to a great extent been delegated to other staff members. According to the report "the bulk of the academic work…..writing and moderating lessons, teaching in day schools, setting and marking of assignments, and observation of teaching practice is the responsibility of the senior lecturer and three probationary lecturers". Each of these staff members coordinates a programme, but it is questionable if they are qualified or experienced in Early Childhood Education . Three other project assistants without postgraduate qualifications in fields relevant to the Department hold temporary, short-term appointments.

Recommendations

Ideally the three pre-schools operated by the Department should be models of good practice as examples for students to visit and learn from. The Report is critical of the main Supipi preschool. "Its claim to be a teaching laboratory appears to lack credence…" The Resource room is not functioning and the outdoor play equipment is inadequate. As to the school itself it is essential that the classrooms, curriculum and materials are representative of a high standard of practice. Some while back the Department initiated a full week of in-service workshops for teachers of the model schools and other staff members to improve their understanding and skills in Early Childhood Education. These were conducted by a highly experienced and qualified professional from the UK and were considered successful in upgrading knowledge and application. The Subject Review Report reviewed eight aspects of the Department and the courses it offered. The key areas of Curriculum; Teaching, learning, assessment; Student progress and achievement, were rated as only "satisfactory" rather than good or excellent. The Report made 16 recommendations for improvement and if these are acted upon the benefits eventually will be felt by preschools and the children where students on these courses will be teaching.

In the conclusion of his lecture Narada Warnasuriya suggested "the creation of a well equipped National Centre for Pre-school Education with a network of regional centres". At present there are no regular publications in Sri Lanka for pre-school teachers.

This Centre could produce a monthly Early Childhood Magazine in three languages to enable teachers to gain ideas and keep in touch with developments in this field. A well equipped resource centre where commercial materials can be displayed as well as workshop and lecture rooms offering relevant seminars and short courses.

It is surprising that the Early Childhood Education department at the OUSL has not produced a range of DVD multi-media resources which could include lectures (in three languages) as well as videos showing diverse preschool activities and various teaching styles. These can be linked to theory thus making it more relevant. A single recordable DVD costs less than Rs 20 and producing them no longer requires professionals with expensive equipment. (See www.youtube.com/5education) With so many teachers now having access to the Internet, it seems a simple and obvious way for some meaningful distant learning to take place. The temporary curriculum books for students on OUSL courses are produced in-house and pages simply stapled together between flimsy covers. The content may be relevant (albeit there are some grammatical, spelling, and other errors), but the design, printing and lack of illustrations contributes to their unattractiveness. Compare these with the beautifully designed materials in Singapore and other countries, which engages you and encourages you to read and study.

ECE neglected

Is it reasonable to expect that Early Childhood Education courses for duration of one year or less with only a minimum of face-to-face contact, can equip a teacher with the knowledge, attitude and skills required? Many of these courses necessitate a considerable amount of self-study and unguided superficial reading of texts. Many courses are English medium and it is doubtful if some of the students have a sufficiently high standard of English to readily understand either the lectures or reading material. With only limited contact time, the opportunities for discussion, questions and practical application are severely limited. This is also exacerbated by poor conversational skills in English. At present no university or institution offers degree level courses in Early Childhood Education, despite it being a major aspect of the education system involving over 500,000 children. The University of Peradeniya has a well established Education Faculty but no courses in Early Childhood Education despite the fact that a large pre-school on the campus can be seen from the department’s building. The neglected poor state of the play area may reflect further shortcomings. In contrast Singapore has several universities where Early Childhood Education can be studied to Doctoral level and model preschools for students to experience. In many developed countries it is a requirement that senior teachers at preschool centres have a minimum of an undergraduate degree and often a graduate degree.

All too often preschools are seen as places where children cut, colour and paste, learn the alphabet and sing some nursery rhymes. Parents and even some professionals see a group of smiling, busy children filling pages in workbooks or all producing an identical item of art or craft, partly made by teachers, as being the observable sign of a good preschool. Many are willing to pay high admission and monthly fees for such schools. Unfortunately, even well qualified preschool teachers are poorly paid compared to salaries in government schools. Until this belief changes there is little incentive for schools or teachers to reflect on or be critical of current practice.

As there is no single authority for Early Childhood Education and schools are a mixture of private, NGO, religious and local government initiatives, it is difficult to see how change can come about. It requires leadership, creative thinking and innovation. Prof. J.E. Jayasuriya’s concerns as Chairman of the National Education Commission fifty years ago, about the quality and availability of pre-schools did not lead to action. Fifty years later the same issues are being discussed and his views seem to have currency in both theory and practice.

_________________________

The author is currently honorary Education Director of the Early Childhood Education Centre at Hampstead International School, Kandy. This model Centre for around 80 children from all sections of the community, is visited by many teachers to gain a better insight into good practice. Douglas King D.Ed has many years of teaching, lecturing and consulting in Early Childhood Education in several developed and developing countries. He has written extensively on Education and published books for use in pre-school.

Appeal for bail by parents of remanded undergrads

The parents of the three undergraduates who were remanded by the Kandy Chief Magistrate under the anti-ragging Act, have filed three bail applications to Kandy High Court Judge Manilal Waidyatilleke who has now issued notice on the Criminal Investigation Department. Atorney-at-Law Sudath Karavita who submitted the application for bail on behalf of the parents said that the three undergraduates were three out of twenty five undergraduates who were charged before the Kandy Chief Magistrate's Court under the anti-ragging act. He submitted to Court that twenty two undergraduates are out on bail and only three of the undergraduates were remanded by the Magistrate. He also submitted to Court that after the undergraduates were remanded, the Magistrate has no provision to bail these remanded undergraduates and therefore the parents are seeking the indulgence of the Court to grant bail, since they are now nearly a month in remand. Atorrney Karavita also submitted that Peradeniya Police who initially investigated the incident had selected only seven undergraduates be summoned to Court, but after the Criminal Investigation Department took over the investigations, twenty five were produced before Court. He also submitted to Court that the alleged charges that they had unnatural sexual offences committed on fresher undergraduates, were made after one month after the alleged incident. After these submissions by the Attorney, the High Court Judge ordered the issue of notices on the respondents. The parents of the three undergraduates who made the bail application were in Court. The case was postponed for March 13.

Pera arts undergrads boycott lectures

February 14, 2012, 12:00 pm , The Isand


by Dasun Edirisinghe

Undergraduates of the Peradeniya University’s Arts Faculty have been boycotting lectures and examinations from Monday noon demanding the lifting of the suspension order on the president of the faculty students’ union and the release of three of their colleagues who are in remand custody.

President of the Students Council Mahesh Lanka told The Island that three undergraduates of the faculty had been remanded after being accused of severe ragging.

"When we protested against the government’s move to establish private universities, the university administration suspended president of the Arts Faculty Students Union Nuwan Chameera," he said.

Lanka said that they held a protest march inside the university on Monday with the hoisting of black flags and also launched a poster campaign in the university premises.

All students had protested opposite the Senate building after the protest march.

They had dispersed after a discussion with the university administration.

"However, we are not happy with the discussion," Lanka said adding that university administration promised to call another meeting after discussing matters among themselves.

He said that they would not stop the protest against the suspension of union president and the remanding of three undergraduates.

Add parents, teachers and students to solve the maths problem

February 13, 2012, 7:58 pm , The Island.


By R.N.A. de Silva

ndesilva@osc.lk

Why do so many youngsters have problems with mathematics? Is it because they find it too much to handle or is it because they dislike it compared to the other subjects that they learn in school? It is to be expected for students to consider mathematics difficult due to the abstract nature of the subject and the challenges that it offers. But, generally young people are risk takers and they enjoy taking up challenges. Therefore, it is a concern if a student states that it is a subject that he or she dislikes. How do we create an appreciation for mathematics learning so that the students are motivated to follow the subject with interest? For this to happen, I feel that three groups of people must work in harmony: students, teachers and parents.

If the topic of mathematics is brought up in a conversation when parents get together or at a parent teacher conference, it is to be expected to hear comments such as "I was never good at mathematics", "I don’t blame my son as I hated mathematics when I was in school" or "this is one subject where we are completely clueless to help our child". Such negative comments will not help a child struggling to cultivate a positive attitude towards learning mathematics. The same parents will acknowledge the importance of the subject in the modern world. Therefore without amplifying the difficulties it is important that parents and children work together to find ways of overcoming the problems.

It will be helpful if parents join their children in solving mathematical riddles, puzzles and even filling Sudoku grids. The interest in the subject can be enhanced through these activities and students will gradually increase an awareness of the need to have good mathematical skills. Also, it would help immensely if parents show that they are willing to learn. Getting your children to teach you something that you don’t understand, but have an interest in, provides a valuable learning atmosphere. Teaching another person is one of the best ways of enhancing a skill.

We are all lifelong learners. This idea is very important for teachers. Mathematical concepts that are taught in schools may not have changed over the last few centuries, but the methods of delivery, analytical tools and processes of conceptualization have changed drastically over the last few years. It is important for teachers to remember that the students under their care enter a job market that values mathematical thinkers. Solving a problem using an algorithm is important but the ability to view a problem from different angles and choosing the right option reflecting on the constraints is much more important. It is not useful to judge a student being either good or bad in mathematics. Allen Broyles and Tom Pittard who researched on the neuro-developmental demands that mathematics places on a student beautifully analyses a situation where four students may get the same problem wrong for four completely different reasons. First student understands the process but makes a simple fact error; Second also understands the process but unable to complete due to memory deficits; Third inaccurately transcribes on paper the correct number that he is holding in his head; Fourth does not understand the concept underlying the problem. To address these errors, each one needs a different approach to teaching.

A common difficulty experienced by students is the inability to connect the abstract and conceptual aspects of mathematics with reality. Holding a model of a cube, for example, is more meaningful to a child than simply being told that a cube has six faces. All students move through a development sequence from concrete to abstract and manipulatives are an excellent form to help them through this process.

Many students are faced with the problem of finding a way to ‘study’ for mathematics. In most subjects, they could read notes, go through texts or perform experiments in preparation for lessons and examinations. But, what could you do in mathematics? Mathematical skill acquisition comes with practice. When students solve mathematical problems, it is helpful to consider it as an exploration. Sometimes you are successful and sometimes not. But, each failed attempt can provide useful hints towards the path of success, if the mistakes could be analysed. Thomas Alva Edison said "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work".

Another difficulty that the students face in mathematics classes is the inability to follow the lesson due to not being comfortable with what had been done previously. Mathematics is a subject where the conceptual understanding is built up in a ladder formation. You cannot move to the next level without stepping on the previous step. As such, it is useful for students to spend a few minutes at home going through and reflecting on what was covered in class, on a regular basis. Also, in this modern age of advanced technology, it is not too difficult to check on the topic being taught on the internet, to find out about the historical development and to check on where the applications lie, thereby enhancing the motivation to know more about the topic.

The following list is an attempt of mine to provide three important tips to the three categories of people for whom this article is intended to.

PARENTS

1. Be prepared to listen to your children when they talk to you about their academic work.

Encourage them to discuss their classroom achievements and difficulties with you. Rather than telling them what to do, discuss with them about possible solutions to their difficulties.

2. Create opportunities of demonstrating the use of mathematics at home.

You could do this by solving puzzles that may appear in newspapers or magazines that you purchase or involving your children in the calculation of paint required for a paint job or tiles required for a tiling job etc.

3. Show them that you are willing to learn from them.

In this age of such rapid technological advancement there is much that we can learn from youngsters and it is important to give them that opportunity in the sharing of knowledge. Value their opinions and discuss the feasibility of options.

TEACHERS

1. Be prepared to think as a student.

Visualising may not be as easy for your students as you think and try to use manipulatives and visual aids as far as possible. Remember that you are dealing with abstract concepts and it is necessary to move from known to the unknown in a simple way.

2. Be abreast of new developments.

It is important to be aware of current trends and the use of technology as a teaching tool. Have an attitude of learning and be not afraid to try out new teaching techniques.

3. Create an atmosphere of friendliness in your classroom.

Mathematics is a subject where much discussion is needed and therefore students should have no fear of raising their questions or initiating a discussion. Also, have courage to admit mistakes or to confess that you need time to refer to either a problem or a concept, which will be appreciated by the students.

STUDENTS

1. Be aware that success can be achieved through determination.

It is not unnatural to make mistakes in mathematics but it is important to analyse mistakes to check why they occurred. Perfection in mathematics can be achieved only through practice. Remember that the failures are the pillars of success.

2. Find means of minimizing careless errors.

Reading questions carefully and writing down what is given and what needs to be found is important in mathematics as a good number of mistakes are made due to the misunderstanding of the question. Neatness and showing steps in a logical order can also help in cutting down careless errors.

3. Be prepared to discuss your difficulties.

You will be able to spot your mistakes and improve your thinking process through discussion either with your teacher or colleagues. Try not to give up when unable to proceed. If not in a classroom, phone a friend for clues or use the internet to get ideas. If everything fails, make a note of it to discuss with your teacher on the following day.

The writer is now in the Overseas School of Colombo having returned to Sri Lanka after a long service at the United World College of Hong Kong.

Ecological footprint and sustainable human development

February 13, 2012, 12:00 pm , The Island.


By Jagath C. Savanadasa

The title above sounds abstract and even distant. But as we go on we will feel that we are on fairly familiar ground.

In early January I attended a Seminar on Cleaner Production which was an awareness programme on connected policies and regulatory measures for the benefit of officials of Chambers of Commerce. It was in the course of this learning exercise that I realized how important cleaner production and connected activity were for the sustenance of the economy and human development. Of course as far back as the 1970’s there emerged early warnings relating to the depletion of the Ozone layer caused by industrial pollution. The leading industrial nations were said to the primary cause of such depletions and there was a sustained cry by environmentalists to take measures to prevent further damage. But such protests had little effect.

From a global perspective one learns these days of depleting material resources. It seems that consumption of such resources has led to what is known as dematerialization or a decline of product output per unit.

An interesting concept linked material and natural resources with land. This concept centred on the Ecological Footprint.

Before the advent of the 1980’s for example, the total resources generated by the earth were sufficient for sustenance of the life of the world’s population. But since that time the resources have gone down to the extent that it is today difficult to meet the demands of the population. In other words, transferring this concept to the usage of land it has emerged that the total land area required for a person’s existence has gradually diminished. To put it is yet another way, the living patterns of man has led to creating a situation where the ecological footprint is currently low. And if unchecked such a situation will lead to serious problems with living and in finding the means for human survival.

It is important to note that in Sri Lanka too her resources are less than her ecological footprint. In these circumstances the fundamental aim of an Institution known as the International Footprint Network is to generate awareness worldwide of the declining bio diversity.

The National Cleaner Production Centre attached to this network (which has the support of the U.N. and which conducted the Seminar referred to) has been active in creating the ground work for cleaner production in industry.

At the introductory stage of the Seminar it was pointed out that though the world has seen huge advances in industry conferring many benefits on mankind, such benefits have been counteracted in some instances to a crippling degree by, concurrent environmental degradation.

A simple yet vital illustration related to atmospheric increases experienced in recent times. Principally such increases have been in terms of global atmospheric concentration of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) .

Mr. Sena Peiris an Engineer by profession and the Director of the National Cleaner Production Centre first addressed the Seminar on the need for a plan and strategy to create a consciousness about the importance of Cleaner Production nationally. Obviously in the effective implementation of such a task the Chamber of Commerce network, he felt, could play a useful role. Peiris added that the Centre that he headed had for sometime been engaged in raising the level of understanding of the essentials of Cleaner production with individual industrial units mostly city and suburban based.

But it was necessary to generate an awareness and also compliance, the latter through legislative measures and regulation especially in the outstations which had less access to related information. Following this introductory note the seminar proceeded with a discourse on what is now high up in the international development agenda – sustainable human development.

Yet another vital matter that emerged at this stage related to consumption. When consumption patterns continued to increase the demands on natural resources a need arose for sustainable utilization of such resources, principally centering on either preventing or minimizing environmental pollution. According to the policy strategy defined cleaner production is an integrated environmental plan for products and services so as to increase efficiency, reduce risks to humans and the surroundings in which they exist.

Pollution reduction measures

Dr. Mrs. L P Batuwitage, Adviser, Ministry of Environment, observed that it was important to implement pollution reduction measures so as to control what she called "the shrinking environmental span". This could to an extent be done through improving social responsibility. Mrs. Batuwitage emphasized the need to infuse into the minds of people the concept of cleaner production through the medium of education. Of course education and driving home the relevance of such production alone would not suffice. Of greater significance were the responses of various segments of society especially the manufacturers and industrialists to this rallying call to adhere to the production concepts outlined.

Equally, the collaboration of all segments of the community was vital to ensure sustainability of production in the manner desired so as to prevent the shrinkage of environmental assets Batuwitage said that quite apart from the gentle art of persuasion and the responses, measures needed to be taken to ensure compliance through regulation.

The Kyoto Protocol

At this point of the discussion my thoughts diverted briefly to the degradation of environment and pollution and its devastating consequences on the international scale. These had been responsible for global warming and the green house effect. Many countries had in recent times been victims of callous neglect by some of the world’s most powerful industrial nations. They had persistently ignored the cry of environmentalists of the dangers posed by the release of pollutants, the decrease of forest coverage the exploitation of land, the sea and the water in the search for short-term material gains. Surely, big industrial nations were aware of the harm that they were causing but did they heed the call to reduce industrial emissions or to adopt measures in the over exploitation of resources that would harm man’s natural habitat?. No. It would be recalled that at the first international parley leading to the agreement to introduce a universally agreed mechanism to control harmful emissions, the famous Kyoto to Protocol, the U.S during the Bush administration was not a signatory (to the protocol). Even at the latest parley at Durban major industrial nations failed to reach a consensus on vital issues and measures necessary to prevent especially atmospheric degradation. Among new industrial powers are China, India and Brazil, but are they doing enough to control the harmful impact of their surging and driving industrial expansion, which often is accompanied by pollution?.

Views of an expert

Mr. Gamini Senanayake an expert in this field, who heads a firm with sustainable and cleaner production provided an effective insight through the under mentioned illustration.

According to Senanayake the following key inputs needed to come into play to ensure sustainability of production and consumption.

Senanayake after an explanatory session in which he clarified many issues also spoke of the introduction of new international standards pertaining to production.

ISO – 50000 (EMNS) Green labeling

ISO 50000 (EMNS) it appears is the latest ISO standard in the sphere of Cleaner Production which is also alternately referred to as green labeling. This standard was introduced in January 2011. A leading manufacturer of garments, Brandix Ltd which has acquired a rightful reputation for "going green" has already entered the somewhat exclusive club of ISO, 50000.

Another rather new initiative is MBI which is a definition conforming to Cleaner Production. Senanayake finally dealt with the importance of a sustained and all round effort needed to ensure that various forms of production in addition to the way we conduct ourselves at home or on the domestic front, to ensure that society is responsive and alive to the preservation of good living within a healthy environment.

The legal framework

Some useful information was also provided by the last speaker Mrs. Himali Karunaweera, Assistant Director, Environmental Pollution Control division of the Central Environmental Authority. She brought to light that as far back as 1980 (when the J R Jayawardena regime was in power) a National Environment Act had come into force despite the fact that issues connected with environmental degradation had been not as serious as during the subsequent decades.

As a consequence activities or measures at that period of time taken to counteract debilitation of surroundings were not pronounced.

During the last decade there came into being active policies, though they were mostly of a regulatory nature. Mrs. Karunaweera opined that regulation alone was not sufficient to ensure cleaner production.

Legal standards had been established in respect of

a. Noise pollution – industry, traffic, the use of electrical equipment like loudspeakers.

b. Waste pollution

c. Air- pollution

d. Solid waste management

e. House management

She concluded that it remains to be seen how effective the laws are and whether they are applied in a way that would lead to desired results.

Conclusion

Some key features of the entirety of this valuable exercise were the discussions at the conclusive session of the seminar. Since most of the representatives came from outstation Chambers of Commerce the use of Sinhala was very helpful to elicit their participation.

A matter of particular importance was brought forth by the Head of SMED – the Small and Medium Enterprise Developers, a n arm of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL), in fact an intregal component of it which has played a highly valuable role on a national scale in the development of SME’s.

Mr. Wijekoon the head of SMED pointed out the dangers arising out of a cyanide mixed raw material in the end manufacture of copper and silver based products. Additionally in the disposal of the waste or the left over on the soil. These harmful elements needed to be controlled and the damage to workers and the environment prevented.

Wijekoon an experienced Consultant in the mechanics of rural manufacture was evidently fully aware of the ignorance on the part of small manufacturing units in especially the Kandyan Provinces (from where he hailed) and in the North Central range which are traditionally associated with craftsman who have made a name for themselves in this field. He said that importers of raw materials in Colombo too had to be made aware of the dangers inherent in the Chemicals they brought to Sri Lanka and which were distributed all over the country, particularly in the provinces mentioned.

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Wijekoon concluded that there were other options in the form of substitutes available for importation and advocated the need to eliminate this serious problem.

A lady representative from the Galle Chamber of Commerce pointed out that the refuse of fish disposed of by the fisherman in the district resulted in environmental damage. Also the manner in which the waste water after the washing of the fish is disposed of. She suggested that the local government authorities should be also made aware and regulatory measures enforced to eliminate this serious problem which apparently affected most of the Southern fishing belt.

This writer too brought to the notice of those present the problem connected to disposal of waste-water in desiccated coconut mills. The D/C industry was a traditional one which was employment oriented and has also been a source of regular foreign exchange earnings. He stressed the need to infuse better technology in the manufacturing processes and waste control in such mills. Sri Lanka had over 50 such mills.

Emerging from this thought provoking discussion the Cleaner Production Centre agreed that they would proceed to take action along with other relevant agencies in order to infuse new thinking and also compliance on Cleaner Production especially in the distant districts which at present sorely lacked commercial and industrial information that facilitates growth and even future survival. In this laudable process the Centre will definitely count on the goodwill and support of the nation’s Chamber of Commerce system.

The writer is Secretary General, Business Chamber of Commerce. Earlier he was Senior Consultant – Economic Affairs of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and Secretary – General/CEO of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL)

Rote Learning, attention span and Mathermatics

February 12, 2012, 6:31 pm , The Island.


By Dr. Douglas King

The editorial in Thursday’s edition of The Island has hit the proverbial nail on the head. As a young teacher in primary school in the UK during the education revolution of the 60s. and so called Plowden Reforms, I stood out as an agent provocateur. I was in favour of many of the details of the report, although I was already implementing many of these, I argued vehemently that some aspects of rote learning had a value. The methodology of how best to teach children reading has came under the scrutiny of Plowden, and phonics was now on the back burner. I insisted on teaching multiplication tables through chanting (and other ways) and basic reading skills using simple phonics in addition to whole word and context clues. The reading levels in my classes were always high and by year 6 (grade 6) almost all children had rapid access to not only "tables" but also quick addition and subtraction mental arithmetic. I have always argued that if little children can so easily learn nursery rhymes (in UK and Sri Lanka) they can learn other more useful material.

At a recent convocation lecture I gave to degree level students, I gave them one minute to adhe consecutive numbers from 1 – 100. None of the 200 students or faculty voiced an answer, and even reducing the challenge to 1 – 20 brought forth no response. Anyone with basic arithmetic skills plus a problem solving approach will appreciate that 99+1 =100, 98+2=100, 97+3=100 and so forth. Only the middle 50 and the 100 stand alone to total 150 so there are 49 sets of 100 = 4900 plus 150 to make a total of 5050. This can be done with any set of consecutive numbers, My point is that creative problem solving skills must accompany rote learning to be of real value. Several children in my grade 6 classes discovered the quick solution to adding 1-20. The ability to recite the numerals from 1 – 100 is a prerequisite to a full understanding of their numerical values. I would have though that "Rap" and other pop music styles, lend themselves very easily to rhythmic chanting. Educators need to remember that familiarity breeds success. Several days ago in a local bookshop I bought two items costing Rs: 120 and Rs;110. These were totaled on a calculator ("just to make sure") and then change necessary from Rs: 300 also calculated the same way.

As far as attention span goes, much depends on the content of the lesson and its application by a skilled teacher. As an English teacher/advisor in Sri Lanka, some teachers may remember my demonstrations in government schools when I gave lessons lasting nearly two hours to students without using a single text book. Of course this was not in keeping with curriculum requirements at that time. However several years later, a very thoughtful and determined President quite rightly ordered "everyday conversational English" to be part of the curriculum. I had been advocating this for several years, and was criticized for my approach. President Mahinda Rajapaksa may not be a teacher but he values innovation and creativity, that may be lacking in much of the educational system. No wonder so many students are not reading high quality literature when the emphasis is not on enjoyment in either Sinhala or English, but simply getting through the examination and for teachers to complete the curriculum. With so many students starting their day for the 6am school transport, waiting for the same transport to take them home and then attending various tuition, homework and dharma classes, there is not much physical or mental energy left for an hour or more of reading for pleasure.

The times they are a changing, in the words of Bob Dylan, and education needs to reflect these changes, but at the same time not succumb to fashion or charlottes that have ready made answers. This applies to the teaching of mathematics and English language, where some traditional methods have stood the test of time. Hardly a week passes without large advertisements appearing in the Sunday newspapers with gurus promising massive intellectual growth, superb organization skills and personality development that propels you to the highest levels, obtainable in one single day’s seminar. All this for an "investment" of only Rs:10,000 to Rs:20,000. Obviously the advertisements work and hundreds avail themselves of the opportunity. Sadly, similar events are also aimed at children, and well-meaning parents are persuaded that their normal children will become intellectual giants.

I am reluctant to discuss government policy towards the teaching of English as a useful rather than academic skill. No doubt this has been done by many people with advanced qualifications and extensive experience in this area... It appears that all the decisions and changes have been made according to the wishes of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It remains to see whether these changes will have the desired effect. However, some of the traditional teaching methods used in Colonial times, may partly account for the excellent conversational English that many elderly people use. At its basic level English has greater simplicity than most Asian languages, and this initial simplicity needs exploitation.

douglasking1939@yahoo.com

Quality Tertiary Education outside the (state) University sector at very low cost

February 12, 2012, 6:32 pm , The Island.


Prof J N Oleap Fernando, PhD
(Lond); Chartered Chemist & Chartered Scientist
(Honorary Rector & Honorary Senior Professor, College Chemical Sciences
Chairman/ Academic Board, Institute of Chemistry Ceylon
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Open University of Sri Lanka)

The two tertiary level programmes conducted by the College of Chemical Sciences (CCS), (which is the educational arm of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon) over the past four decades have proved to be typical examples of the type of tertiary education that can be provided at low cost, without delay, efficiently, effectively and without the constraining effects of state bureaucracy and political interference.

The Graduateship Programme in Chemistry of the CCS today produces annually well over 40% of Sri Lanka’s Special Degree level Chemists within a four year period at an average cost of about Rs 3 lakhs which surely must be the cheapest of any such programme in any part of the world. With an average cost of well over Rs. 1 million to produce a similar graduate in the Sri Lankan University system, it should be noted that the 822 Graduate Chemists produced by the CCS through 29 batches (1983-2011)represent a human resource development (HRD) which would have otherwise cost the national exchequer, well over one billion rupees. In addition to many Scholarships, Merit Bursaries and Need Bursaries, Best Performer prizes are offered for every course which together with numerous other awards, benefits and concessions provide a salutary atmosphere and a good driving force for excellence in academic performance. About 15% of the CCS student community of about 600 are concurrently following courses in state universities (including Medical faculties and Universities in the Provinces), which they usually complete much later than ours.

Income generated from fees have been very carefully managed and savings used not for individual benefits but towards enhancing the quality and standard of the programmes and strengthening the necessary infrastructure. Though the programme commenced operations in 1979 without any office, staff or a building, the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon moved into their own premises in 2005 and now have a regular full time staff of nearly 50. Library (air-conditioned) and other facilities have been enhanced. Due to the difficulty and delay in obtaining an additional piece of land nearby, CCS, after much delay, is about to embark on a five storey building extension on the only available limited space around Adamantane House. Students can therefore expect more facilities and better services by 2013 when the extension is due to be completed. While savings are being recycled in an extremely productive and useful manner, not a single officer/official of the Institute/College has as yet gone overseas using Institute funds. If only CCS had access to additional land at a convenient place, we could have expanded further and made an even greater contribution to Human Resources Development. CCS could then have supplemented the insufficient and much more expensive production of Graduate Chemists from conventional universities at a much lower cost in larger numbers and faster.

The service/need oriented, professionally based and non-mercenary objectives and activities of the professional body of Chemists in Sri Lanka can be well gauged by the fact that the very first formal educational programme was at the Technician level and remains, even today after four decades, as the only such programme producing fully fledged Chemistry Technicians at the MLT level in Sri Lanka. That programme which commenced in 1973 at Aquinas College was the first priority of the Institute after incorporation in 1972 in order to meet a much felt need at the middle level; the Institute did not levy any fee even to issue the certificate of completion during the first decade of the Technician programme.

The College has also been able to strengthen the professional activities of the Institute as a spin off result from the unforeseen financial and academic success of its educational programmes. Training seminars, quiz competitions, debating competitions, titration competitions, exhibitions etc have been conducted with increasing regularity and professional competence. The interests of school children have remained uppermost and multi-faceted activities have been conducted to further their skills, abilities and knowledge. The Institute was also able to play a crucial and important co-coordinating role during the International Year of Chemistry (2011) as the National Secretariat with the holding of two exhibitions and in many other ways with special focus on school children and in other ways.

However, the incomes generated from the educational activities have not been used for other Institute purposes for which alternate sources of funds have usually been tapped. The several international conferences held over the past have however been very successful and possible largely due to the solid infrastructure and human resources now available at all levels available within the Institute/College through the conduct of its educational programmes. The Institute and the College from the very inception fortunately got its fundamental priorities right so that the CCS has been careful to ensure that funds generated from educational activities were utilized essentially for furthering the educational programmes with no profit making initiatives. The CCS is therefore able to confidently go ahead with the proposed building programme without serious financial problems. Educational programmes of the Institute thus become the direct beneficiaries of these pragmatic policies.

The very effective manner in which productively administered educational programmes can perform a very useful and constructive supporting role in HRD has been amply established through the academic, financial, professional and social success of the educational programmes of the CCS. It is a great pity that we note there is a general resistance to the provision of similar alternate facilities outside the state sector despite inadequate academic staff numbers in universities and reluctance to increase salaries of senior academics to an attractive level. Recent events have unequivocally proved that the state university system is clearly unable to expand any further except at great loss of quality and efficiency. This has been well illustrated in the unplanned expansion of state universities without planning and inadequate funds to serve largely political ends. It is obvious that the quality and equivalence of a university degree cannot be guaranteed merely through a UGC circular that presently states that similar degrees awarded by any university are equivalent o each other.

Therefore the government would do much better with greater productivity and less expenditure if it recognizes and supports much more alternate opportunities that could be made available outside the bureaucratic and highly politicized state sector. Broad basing Tertiary Chemical Education need not necessarily be profit oriented as it is generally believed and expected to be. Opening up educational opportunities outside the state university sector in Sri Lanka, particularly through the non bureaucratic and non politically oriented professional bodies, can in fact have a symbiotic and synergetic effect as well. The College of Chemical Sciences of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon has convincingly proved how this could be done in order to take Sri Lanka towards making it a knowledge hub in a very practical and efficient manner.

The need for closer collaboration between universities, corporations

February 12, 2012, 5:55 pm , The Island.


Welcome

Welcome to the seventy seventh (77th ) edition of the regular column "The Catalyst".

Here, we discuss a wide range of topics around Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), many aspects of Business, SME Development, Agriculture, Education, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Innovation and the Society at large.

Innovation

If you have been following this column, you would remember that last week we discussed about the importance of creativity and innovation for the progress of a country. However, I think it’s evident that one column of an article does not do justice to the broad topic that is ‘creativity and innovation’.

Just to remind everyone a few snippets from last week; "Creativity is the ability to see things differently and have an original idea, and innovation is the ability to make new ideas actually happen."

One thing that was stressed and discussed was the need to develop the innovative culture within us. The feeling that ‘we can do’ needs to be injected.

Michael Porter, in his book "Competitive advantage of nations" has described the ability to innovate as one the key things for securing the well being of a nation. And that is why we have been discussing the importance of it for Sri Lanka too.

Industry-academia collaboration

Last week we touched on the topic of industry-academia collaboration. Research is a key factor driving innovation in a society. And one of the best places to carry out research is within a university. This is where industry-academia collaboration can help. Companies can work with universities to research and develop different things. The industrial body, usually funds the research either financially or through the provision of facilities. If a new innovation is born, the company takes it to the market. A win-win situation for all that’s involved. If the university students and staff discover some important new knowledge, again the company can use it for their benefit.

One of our readers took the time to write to us in detail after reading last weeks’ column, concurring with what we discussed and also adding more perspectives. I thought I will discuss some of it here as that insight reveals certain methodologies used by other countries. Of course we can and have to localise them to suit our needs, but then again these examples and models will help us in our thinking.

Ranil Jayanetti is a Sri Lankan currently living in Switzerland. He is a Research & Development Engineer for a company there.

Ranil points out that in Europe, universities and companies work together much more closely than in Sri Lanka. His personal experiences are narrated from the time he did his internship and his thesis at two leading car manufacturing companies during his Masters degree in Germany. Over there, the companies use university resources to find solutions to their technical problems.

During his two year Masters program in Polymer Technology in Germany, he was given the chance to do a six month industrial internship. His task was to identify mold technologies to make vehicle prototype parts in a cost-effective manner. Usually molds are made of steel and can produce about 200,000 parts, but are expensive. A leading car manufacturer generally makes 50-60 prototype cars; so steel molds are not very useful. The task that Ranil was given, didn’t involve development of technology itself, but to search for new technologies that are still unknown to the company. Through this process of recruiting a student to do this work, the company makes financial savings (payment of about €600 as opposed to €3500 for a qualified engineer). Additionally, the student brings new thinking and ideas. The student can also get guidance from a professor as to which direction to go, which helps both the student in his personal career and also the company.

Ranil further explained that the study program involved a thesis written over a six month period. Around the same time, another leading car manufacturer had introduced its new car series into the market and had noted a quality problem in one of the parts of its body. Ranil as a student researcher, had set up a series of activities to understand the problem, then searched for new test methods to characterize the problem, and had isolated the possible causes.

He has also given us details about an institute by the name of ‘Steinbeis’ that allows a university professor to use his lab resources and set up a centre that transfers knowledge to the industry. He needs to pay a fee to the university for using the resources and is also allowed to employ people on a salary. The academic can actually make a profit out of this business. It’s a win-win situation for all, and most importantly the industry is supported by research capabilities of the university in terms of both human resources as well as facilities. Using this method small scale companies can get easy access to the latest knowledge. Germany is a country where there are many medium scale companies which are world leaders in their respective fields. I am sure the above working models have helped in achieving that.

Sometime back we discussed about an innovative proposal by a Sri Lankan professional called Tilak Dissanayake (tilak@antsglobal.lk) that uses the strengths of existing technologies such as ICT (Information and Communications Technology), electronics, compressed air motors, and wind energy and has combined them in innovative ways to resolve the long standing issue of getting fresh produce to the market at a fair price to both producers and consumers. I am sure such ideas can be strengthened and tried in research with the support of academia and the university sector.

Even aspects like farming and agriculture can be improved and also be made attractive as a career choice if innovation is introduced in a stronger effective way. One reason that farming is considered a good career option in countries like Australia is the use of technology. Youngsters don’t necessarily feel that they live in the past as agriculture actually moves with time. We need that involvement too. If we don’t, we wouldn’t be able to compete on the production or the cost scale of the other countries anyway.

I hope these practical insights give our industry and academia a few things to think about.

Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Oceans

An area that seems to need a lot of innovation is around protecting and safeguarding Sri Lanka’s oceans.

This is a very important subject. A few days ago some newspapers reported that Indian boats are bottom trawling our waters. Bottom trawling is about dragging fishing nets along the sea floor, which is very damaging to maritime resources since this can wipe out species in massive numbers. Illegal poaching in our waters takes place every day by illegal boats. We need to take action and protect our resources for the future generations.

Regulations, coast guard and an overall strategy are important to tackle these issues. That’s where creativity and innovation with forward thinking can be utilised practically for the betterment of the country.

In this light, the Kadirgamar Institute is organising an event with the international Fisheries and Maritime expert, Mr John Church to speak on Protecting and Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Oceans for the Benefit of Present and Future Generations.

Mr Church will present on VMS (Vessel Monitoring Systems), MCS (Monitor Control and Surveillance of All Vessels), and FMPP (Fisheries Management Protection Programme), and discuss the technical, financial, and political aspects of such programmes.

Mr John Church, who has developed Fisheries Management Protection Programme (FMPP) propositions for Sri Lanka, has extensive experience of the consultation, background research, implementation and operation of VMS, MCS, and FMPP installations worldwide including the UK, USA, and the following countries: Cyprus, Eire, Equatorial Guinea, Falklands, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Liberia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, St. Helena, Sierra Leone, Puntland State of Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania and Yemen.

The Kadirgamar Institute encourages all to participate and benefit from this presentation on this burning topic of national interest. The forum will be held at the Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo on February 13 (today) from 5:00 to 6:00pm.

Get in Touch

You may have experiences and suggestions for future discussions in this column. If you like, you can share them with us and those would add further value to our readers.

"Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprung up." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

The touch point to get in touch is yva@lankabpoacademy.lk

See you next week!





The Columnist

Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama is a professional with significant experiences. In 2011 he was recognised as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Sri Lanka. Yasas has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Colombo and a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Swinburne University in Australia. He has worked in the USA, UK, Sri Lanka & Australia and being trained in the USA & Malaysia. He is currently involved in the training organisation, Lanka BPO Academy (www.lankabpoacademy.lk). Yasas is also an Executive Council Member of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL – www.cssl.lk). Apart from this column, he is a regular resource person for ‘Ape Gama’ program of FM Derana (Sunday 3-5pm). Yasas is happy to answer your relevant questions – email him at yva@lankabpoacademy.lk