If Colombo is home to you, did you know that 50% or so of homes in Colombo are in tenement gardens or are illegal shanties. The children from these homes attend neighborhood schools of poor quality. These children attend a school close to home and go home without causing congestion or pollution. Not so with the National schools or private schools. There are about 210,000 kids attending schools in Colombo.

Let us recall this incident somewhat more in detail. Prof. S. Raveendranath, Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka (EUSL) was abducted on the 15th of December 2006, not from any part of the Eastern province but rather from a high security area in Colombo in the midst of his attending a science forum at the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) auditorium at Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 7. His distraught family members immediately lodged a complaint with the Dehiwala police.

We received this ad from two leading theater personalities in Colombo. We are posting it here partly because of the insights it gives about our education system. Do our A/L kids really learn all this cool stuff? Can schools indeed outsource theater teaching to private professionals? Imagine the difference between book learning and learning from professionals.

Discussion Series on Education Reforms Series Objective:   To strengthen the participation of an informed civil society in education reforms Series Number:      3 Topic                     Decentralization of Education:  What form and shape will enable a better education for children? Date and Time:     November 29, 3:30 -5.30 p. (begins sharply at 3:30) Place:                     Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, 100, Independence Avenue, Colombo 0700  Medium                 Primarily in Sinhala (Tamil translations provided as necessary)  Agenda                  3:30 – 3:40   Introduction                               3:40 – 5:30   Presentations Panel (10 minutes each) §         School Principals (2-3) §         Provincial representative §        Ministry Representative                                            5:30 – 5:45   Questions to Presenters                               5:45 – 6:30   Structured Discussion with inputs from Teachers Associations, Past Pupils and education foundations and NGOs §         Curriculum, delivery and evaluations §         Human resources (deployment, training and recognition) §         Financial and material resources (including text books and uniforms) For more information or suggestions please contact the coordinator, Dr. Sujata Gamage, at coord@educationforum.

From the Education Forum to school toilets by Dr. G. Usvatte-aratchi (reproduced from the Island, Nov 21 2007, Midweek Review) No, nothing funny happened on my way to the Forum. Yet, November 15th was a bad day for me, as I attended the Education Forum, called forth by Dr. Sujata Gamage, at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, which I interrupted to attend, to hear Jayantha Dhanapala, a brilliant man of our times and place, address us on the good work of the United Nations.

University of Kelaniya is holding its economics week from November 25th-December 02. The announcement appeared in Lankadeepa but not in the Engish newspapers. There’ll be much to see and do. Seminars, book launches, exhibitions of students; outputs and even a musical show. You may call Prof.

You have been complaining about the state of education. Here is a chance to do something. Come to the Education Reform Discussions Series #2 on Nov 15, 3:30-5:30 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute to get the basics.The President has instructed the ministry of education to drafta new Act and the ministry has appointed an expert committee. If you just sit there and do nothing, the expert will give their opinions, but the politicians and officials will not have what it takes to follow through and we will be back at square one, with the supreme court making education policy and regulation.

Philip Hunter, the chief schools adjudicator in UK, said sought-after schools could “cream off” children in neighbouring areas and it meant that some schools are left with too many children from deprived homes. His annual report proposed no national solution: it said authorities must use “highly contentious” methods, such as admissions lotteries. In some areas, such lotteries – or ballots – have been adopted. In Brighton, some parents objected, unsuccessfully. The adjudicator who heard their complaint ruled that the new system would likely result in “a greater degree of justice”.

According to the association of unemployed graduates, 10,000 more joined their ranks since November 2006. Today (November 1, 2007) these people are poised to demonstrate in front of the Fort railway station. Who produced these graduates? If the social science and humanities faculties in our universities are responsible, why do we keep giving money to these faculties to produce unemployable graduates? Apparently Minister Siyabalapitiya had promised 19,000 more jobs.

Not in Sri Lanka but in New York City, USA. (නෑ, නෑ, ඇමෙරිකාවේ, ඇමෙරිකාවේ) Bonuses are only for teachers at schools with high concentrations of children from poor families. The unions have agreed with the condition that the incentives are to be given to a school and distributed evenly to all the teachers. Here is the report: http://www.nytimes.