A BOLD FORAY INTO EDUCATION REFORMS IN A CORRUPT SOCIETY

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, the Prime Minister holding the Education Portfolio, has made a bold foray into education reforms.

- By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

We all know how grave and intractable the problems are, crying for urgent resolution. Right-thinking Sri Lankans wish her success.

She is more qualified than most Sri Lankans to tackle the problem. She has a doctorate, university teaching experience and, besides Sri Lankan and Indian studying experience, significant multi-continental European, American and Australian exposure.

As I demonstrate, our educational problems are a fallout of our corrupt society. We suddenly have a relatively clean government. The PM in such a government is well-positioned to succeed.

Qualifications of the PM to Lead Education

The PM’s qualifications as Minister of Education are unquestionable, even though some argue that better people were overlooked because she is a woman.

I argue that being a woman is part of her credentials to bring new insights. Except perhaps G.L. Pieris, I do not see any of our past education ministers being more academically qualified. In fact, many were charlatans. A Minister of Education minimally must have a first degree to judge the inputs necessary in education, and more if the portfolio involves higher education.

I have gone through the wiki pages of our Education Ministers, and the following seem not to have been degreed. Many have been so illiterate without a degree that they gamed the term alma mater (a nourishing mother in Latin). It is singular, and one cannot have more than one alma mater, as many of our ministers claim. Assuming our ministers with degrees would have them listed, those without degrees are: