EMPOWERING FUTURE GENERATIONS
WORKSHOP A -
account in transferring technology. Hon. Rotimi
Olowo, MLA, of Lagos expressed concern about the effects of population growth, industrialization and pollution on the provision of government services, while Hon. Yee Jenn Jong, MP, of Singapore asked whether the state pays for all medical care, including for the wealthy and middle-income earners, and about class sizes in schools. Prof. Fonseka replied that educating women has proven successful in reducing population growth. Those who can afford it have started to go to private clinics for some out-patient services. Dr Navaratne added that the student- teacher ratio is legislated at 45 students per
teacher nationally.
Health and education Hon. Rajendra Arlekar, MLA, of Goa asked what was used as the main language of education. Dr Navaratne replied that English is taught as a second language. Recently a tri- lingual language policy has been introduced to reduce the ethnic gap and to promote reconciliation. All Sinhala students should learn Tamil and Tamil students should learn Sinhala. Hon. Nansubuga Rosemary
Seninde, MP, of Uganda said only 25 per cent of Ugandan children complete primary education and asked how Sri Lanka had achieved 98 per cent. Dr Navaratne replied that making education compulsory up to age 14 and free to the secondary level is only part of the answer. In Sri Lanka, parents value education as the route to advancement and will sell or mortgage their homes to ensure they educate their children. The vast majority would never consider
sending their children to work to help support their families. Hon. Ian Tresize, MP, of Victoria,
Hon. Mantsheng Tsopo, MPL, of Free State and Hon. Wynter Mmolotsi, MP, of Botswana asked about steps taken in Sri Lanka to maintain high standards of healthcare and education. The panellists replied that the government focuses resources on these two areas as the key to the development of the country. Good health and good education are linked. Mr Adrian Sanders, MP, and
Baroness Gardner of Parkes of the United Kingdom and Hon. David K. Mphande, MP, of Malawi stressed the need for preventive treatment and early identification, especially in treating diseases such as diabetes, and the value of well- trained healthcare providers at all levels. Baroness Gardner added sharing health professionals among Commonwealth countries has been very beneficial, both for professionals who can’t find jobs in their own countries and for those countries which have a shortage of well-trained staff.
Changing attitudes Hon. Joseph Madonsela, MP, of Swaziland asked how to control the dependency syndrome among the poor so they take responsibility for their own health, and about access to healthcare. Prof. Fonseka said every home in
Sri Lanka is within three kilometres of a government health centre. The provision by the state of free care to all is seen as proper, although with increasing affluence many people are paying for their own out-patient treatment at private clinics. Hon. O.B. Amoah, MP, of Ghana
asked about national health insurance and whether Sri Lanka supports education and development in the sports field, which he said is a very important area for Ghana. Dr Navaratne said state health care is funded from general tax revenues, although there are some private health insurance companies which cater for the affluent. The government
has been doubling its investment in higher education every five years. Hon. N.P. Abraham-Ntantiso,
MPL, of Eastern Cape said in South Africa education is divided in the government between two ministries, higher and basic education. She asked about creating jobs for graduates and about the involvement of the private sector. She was told that Sri Lanka has a Ministry of Education, and a Ministry of Higher Education; but the Ministries of Science and Technology and of Youth and Vocational Training also do training, the Ministry of Health trains doctors and nurses and 20 other ministries carry out their own staff development programmes. The country’s growing economy
means many new jobs are being created for graduates but most want to work in the public sector because of its pension scheme. There is a mismatch between training and jobs, so some labour is imported while some Sri Lankans pursue jobs abroad. Hon. Stephen Rodan, SHK, of
the Isle of Man questioned why more university places were not being created to meet the high demand, and why many graduates had difficulty in finding jobs. Dr Navaratne said liberal arts
graduates have the greatest difficulty in finding jobs so the government is seeking to change their courses to provide more job-related training within that discipline, particularly to add practical training to the previously largely theoretical approach. Change here is meeting great resistance from lecturers. Prof. Wijeyesekera added
that because only three per cent of students who enter secondary education will go to university, it is necessary to build up the middle diploma level to train people for the jobs that are available. Hon. Adeloye Adeyinka Olubunmi,
MHR, of Nigeria agreed, adding that in Nigeria youth unemployment is a big issue and one that could be tackled more effectively by focusing government resources on vocational training.
Good practices Hon. Amery Browne, MP, of Trinidad and Tobago asked about the relationship between education courses and traditional, including religious, values. While Hon. Simon Piet Dollman Skhosana, MPL, of Mpumalanga noted professionals, including in the health sector, are emigrating from South Africa to the developed world, especially the United Kingdom. Hon. Dilip Walse-Patil, MLA,
of Maharashtra asked about best practices in setting the percentage of a national budget which should be devoted to education, on private funding for education and on steps to enforce mandatory education. Deputy James Reed of Jersey focused on the policies to support mothers to prepare very young children for education. Hon. Evariste Kalisa, MP, of
Rwanda said education has been one of the four pillars (along with good governance, economic development and justice) supporting his country’s recovery from its 1994 genocide. Health care has, however, been a problem and health insurance schemes have become widespread. Dr Navaratne said Sri Lanka
spends between 10 and 12 per cent of its national budget on education, including higher education. Those who oppose augmenting
this with private education argue that this will undermine free public education. Prof. Fonseka said state health
care in Sri Lanka reaches a very high standard; but the brain drain continues to pose problems as doctors and nurses sent abroad for training tend to stay abroad. The doctor-patient ratio in Sri
Lanka is 70 to 100,000, which is well below the level in most developed countries, although the professor noted that this figure only includes “western” medical doctors. Prof. Wijeseyekera said the
expansion of vocational training is carefully controlled so all institutions offering tertiary education have to be registered and their courses accredited to maintain standards.
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