Education May Deliver Garbage But Remove Garbage Elsewhere Too

By W.A Wijewardena -July 29, 2013 

Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

Inconclusive debate over Sri Lanka’s education: Education may deliver garbage but remove garbage elsewhere too

At the recently-concluded Economic Summit 2013, organised by Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, three divergent views had been expressed on the present state of Sri Lanka’s education and how its potential should be harnessed for the country’s future prosperity.

Anoop Singh: Improve productivity to raise income

Anoop Singh, Director of IMF’s Asia-Pacific Department, in delivering the keynote address, had identified three contributors that will enable Sri Lanka to increase its per capita income, measured in 2005 international dollars, to a level above $ 25,000 by 2037 so that the country will not be left behind the other emerging market economies (available here). They are the productivity of human capital, productivity of physical capital and the combined effect of these two productivities known as the total factor productivity.

With improvements in these three productivities, Singh had found that Sri Lanka could increase its average growth rate which stood between 4.5 and 6.5% during 2003-12 to 8% in the period to follow. All these three are in turn dependent on one single investment, namely, human knowledge that comes from education, research and technology.

Education should help produce more with less                  Read More

Dayasiri’s Crossover, Rajapaksa’s Political Power And The Hope

By Jehan Perera -July 29, 2013 

Jehan Perera

First Principle Of Governance Must Be Got Right First

The crossover of UNP Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera to the government is being seen as yet another example of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political power and acumen that is proving difficult to resist. It is also seen as an example of political opportunism and venality.  More than adding to the strength of an already over-powerful government the crossover of the former UNP stalwart will further demoralize an already demoralized opposition.  It will also serve as a warning to any potential dissenters within the government that they can be replaced by the President if need be.  The President continues to be the dominating figure of Sri Lankan politics.  Therefore those who are concerned about the political direction of the country, have to find ways to work with the President and his government.  This is the justification that many of those who join the government have given.

At the present time the opposition cannot match the government in regard to the material power that can be thrown into the political arena.  However, there are also other forms of power.  One is religious power. It is from religion that human societies first learnt of universal values, and that what applies to oneself, needs to be applied to others as well.  The first principle of good governance is to look at the larger interest, at the wellbeing of all, rather than the wellbeing of the few.  It is said that Mahatma Gandhi combined the spiritual symbols of Indian society with personal asceticism which made for a powerful appeal to the Indian psyche.  This is one of the attractions of Justice C V Wigneswaran’s nomination to the TNA’s Chief Ministerial candidate at the forthcoming Northern Provincial Council elections.  He has steeped himself in the Hindu religious tradition, so much so that he became a representative of the Hindu religion at multi religious functions.