Burden of education

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister of Education and Higher Education, has said the aim of reforms that the government is planning to introduce is aimed at reducing the burden of education. This is a welcome attitude, but it has to be done with utmost care, for enough damage has already been done by ill-conceived changes brought about by people with vested interests. Education, like health, is crucial for the future development of the country and more importantly to produce good human beings with desirable characteristics.

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Susan Engel Ph.D, child psychologist has done a lot of research on the subject and appears to be an authority on child education, particularly the psychological aspect of it. Her works include; ‘Putting the Child back into school, (2010)’, ‘Playing to learn, (2010)’, ‘Teach your teachers well, (2009)’, ‘Is Curiosity Vanishing, (2009). She has this to say about children’s education, ‘Their need to resolve uncertainty and explain the unexpected is the engine of early cognitive development. One of the vital functions of play is to provide children with a framework within which to explore and master experiences they do not fully understand. Satisfying their curiosity is the means of learning and lasting education”. In this country, however, education has become burdensome to children as well as parents. The backbreaking schoolbag that even the parents cannot carry is a symbol of the burden of education.