Mushrooming of tuition classes

Indicates decline in State

education

Namal seeks doctorate in criminology

BY Rathindra Kuruwita-November 11, 2014

Many parents and students believe that tuition classes have become a necessity to do
well in competitive examinations. However this increased workload often comes with
added stress and stunting of creativity. Ceylon Today spoke to outspoken tuition
master Upul Shantha Sannasgala, Deputy Minister of Education Mohan Lal Grero and
Secretary to the Lanka Teacher Services Union, Mahinda Jayasinghe to learn how
they viewed tuition classes and the reason for increasing popularity for tuition.
Mohan Lal Grero Deputy Minister of Education
Q:
Private tuition has become essential in today's education system to obtain a good
grade. However, on the other hand this has become a burden for students as they
have no time for leisure or reflection. What has made tuition essential?
A: There are several issues with tuition classes. I don't think there is any harm if a
GCE AL student takes individual or small group tuition for a subject he or she is weak.

But the problem is that everyone, from grade 2 goes for tuition and goes for tuition for
all subjects. This has become a trend. Even if children don't want to go for classes,
parents push them.
Children should be given a chance to develop creative skills and a chance for
autodidact. Kids need to play sports, have fun, meet friends, read books and
experience life. Otherwise we create a bunch of students who parrot out knowledge
without knowing how to apply what is in the books for real life situations.
I understand it's easy to say this and people will ask what alternatives people have.
Q:
Exactly, getting good grades in year 5 scholarship exams or GCE OL allows you to get
into a good school, a school with a reputation and where you make good connections.
Passing GCE AL well gets you into university?
A: That is why we are trying to develop 1,000 secondary schools, three for each
divisional secretariat, so that year 5 students can enter a good school with all streams
and facilities.
Right now, everyone is attempting to get into top 56 schools, imagine if we increase
that number to 1,000. Then there will be no need for such competition. Year 5 exam
will have a natural death. Then the competition for GCE OL will also lessen as
students know they can get quality education from the schools they are in. And by
increasing the university intake to 100, 000 by 2020 we reduce the competition during
GCE AL.
If we can achieve this, if any government that comes into power in the next 10-15
years work towards that, we can reduce competition and the need for tuition.
Q: What about teachers who don't teach well in school but are said to be brilliant at
tuition classes. Shouldn't something be done about this?
A: I don' think that is the case, someone who teaches well in tuition will teach in

school. It is because someone teaches well in school that he or she gets a demand as
a tuition master. Students from other schools want his services too.
There is also the issue of people's perception. Right now we are trying to convert the
teaching into an activity based one. We are trying to make teachers mentors, people
who guides students like teachers of our era.
But we have seen situations where parents aren't happy with this. They want someone
to guide their children to get high marks in exams. Rather than to develop a child into
an all-rounderwho can use knowledge learnt from school in the real world.
Mahinda Jayasinghe Secretary to the Lanka Teacher Services Union
Q:
Private tuition has become essential in today's education system to obtain a good
grade at competitive exams. However, on the other hand this has become a burden for
students as they have no time for leisure or reflection. What has made tuition
essential?
A: In today's reality we can't say no to tuition. Education is very competitive and
national examinations determine a student's life. In addition there is a belief among
parents and students that tuition is necessary.
What makes matters worse is that in recent times teachers have forced to spend more
time in filling tables and logs than teaching. So, the time spent on teaching and
preparation for next day's lessons has lessened and we must admit that this has also
had an impact on the quality of teaching. Thus,unless there is an overhaul in the
education system we can't dismiss tuition.
Q:
However, there is also the question of the quality of the tuition masters. As it is,
anyone can enter the field and there are no minimum entry requirements. Shouldn't
there be government regulations?
A: I think the first thing is to improve the school education and standardize the

government education. The increase in tuition classes are linked to the deterioration of
government education. When the State school system was robust there were virtually
no tuition classes, the mushrooming of tuition classes, coincides with government
neglect of the public school system.
Q: What about teachers who don't teach well in school but are said to be brilliant in
tuition classes. Shouldn't something be done about this?
A: I don't think this is a true assessment. Most of the teachers teach well in both at
school and in tuition classes. The thing is that even the most idealistic teacher has
been compelled to increase his income through tuition, unless their income is
supplemented by other means.
In 1994 the salaries of teachers were increased by the government in recognition on
their service. But this salary increase was scaled back in 1997 and a Grade 1 teacher
now makes Rs 16, 000 less than what he or she would have made if the 1994 salary
scheme continued.
Q:
There were continuous issues regarding leaking of papers in GCE OL exams in recent
times by tuition masters. In 2012 teachers unions exposed the leaking of the maths
paper. Do you think the presence of these tuition masters encourage this?
A: One can't blame the tuition masters.
If they spend money to procure exam papers, its because they can access people who
are willing to sell. The entire government sector has been politicized and those who do
not deserve to be holding high positions in vital sectors like education are in charge of
this sector. It is these political henchmen that have created a system where a person
can get exam papers through paying. It's the problem of the administration, not tuition
masters.
Upul Shantha Sannasgala Popular tuition master

Q:
With GCE OL examinations coming students are crunching up for the exams and there
are instances where they skip school and attend tuition classes. This is due to the
belief that private tuition is necessary to do well in public examinations. Is this just a
belief among the people or is school education actually not enough?
A: If school is enough, if the school system can prepare the students, if there are
enough teachers to cater to the education needs of children facing tough exams, there
would have been no room for tuition.
This is like questioning the need for private buses or private hospitals. If the SLTB has
the ability to comfortably and effectively assure the transport needs of all Sri Lankans,
there would have been no private bus operators. If our hospitals had adequate
facilities and the capacity to accommodate all patients, there will be no private
hospitals.
The problem is that the schools simply can't facilitate all its students. In addition there
is great disparity in the distribution of resources among schools. For example
education got just over 1% of the GDP in Budget 2015, I didn't make the budget, so
there is no point in asking me why only 1% was allocated for education. But we must
think if this is a suitable figure in a country where the President spends Rs 20 million a
day for his private expenses. Where two State-owned carriers lose billions each year.
If I was in a position of power I would spend 10% of the GDP on education. Then the
schools will be in a position to accommodate students and prepare them for exams,
and life after school, in a meaningful manner. Then there will be no need for private
tuition.
Q:
You are known as a qualified and talented tuition master but there are many others
who do not have the academic qualifications or experience who do private tuition.
Does the State need to step into regulate the system?
A: Well government can bring in regulations to 'assure' a particular 'standard'. And

from time to time government brings certain regulations on private tuition classes. For
example the Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province, WJM Lokubandara brought in a
number of proposals, about tuition classes a few years ago. One of them was that we
should assure that there should be proper toilet facilities for students. This is not a
wrong suggestion, students need to have adequate sanitation facilities.
But the question is, has the government assured the same in the schools? Are they
saying that toilet facilities in a rural school in Ampara or Moneragala or Mullaitivu is the
same as Royal or Ananda or Visaka? Where is the standardization there? Most of the
rural schools don't have classrooms or desks to accommodate students.
At least in tuition classes there is AC, kids have places to sit, there are enough toilets,
the children get the same tutues. But can the government say this about their schools?
At least can they say that teachers get paid enough? So, I am asking the government
to standardize the school system. At least try to give the basic facilities to all schools.
Be an example first and then dictate terms to tuition masters.
Q:
The government would say that they give education facilities for free and tuition
masters charge. Thus you can't compare the 'free' government sector and 'paid'
private sector?
A: If you give cattle feed to a human being and ask him or her to enjoy that, because
its 'free', will that person be happy? And is your action even morally correct?
And the government does not give the education for 'free' that's a lie to make people
look like lazy stragglers.
What the government does is that it makes impossible promises and don't even talk
about things they can do. This is like promising to send all poor Muslims to Mecca.
They know that each country only gets a quota to enter Mecca annually and if we
divide total number of Muslims in Sri Lanka by our annual quota, it will take a few
centuries for the government to keep its promise.

If the government promised to send all poor Buddhists on a pilgrimage to India, that
would have been achievable. But the government don't make such promises because
it's quite doable. This is the same thing with free education, by pretending that the
education and healthcare is free, the government avoids responsibility for the quality.
Q:
The government banned holding seminars and tuition classes a few days before the
year 5 scholarship exam this year to prevent tuition masters from leaking papers and
giving to students. There is a possibility that a similar 'remedy' might be applied to
other national exams, what is your opinion?
A: The current Minister of Education, Bandula Gunawardane is excellent at
manipulation and misdirection. As a past student of his, I am not surprised that he
would come up with this kind of 'solutions'.
Now, I don't know any good tuition master, who conducts classes now, that has told his
or her students not to go to school. But, Bandula Gunawardane, the tuition master said
this. He compared State schools to makeshift maternity hospitals in estate sector and
called students of Royal College napunsakayo. This is the man who is now telling
tuition masters to behave.
Anyway 99% of tuition masters don't teach till the day before the exam. We stop
classes at least 2 weeks before the exam. Students need to prepare and study. I
personally ask them to relax a bit. The Minister of Education knows this and yet he
wants to stop us from holding tuition classes 'a week before the exam'.
This is a classic case misdirection. Let me give you an example. All Buddhists in this
country celebrate Vesak. We try to make Vesak lanterns and light them on Vesak Day.
If we can't afford lanterns or don't have the time to make, we will at least light an oil
lamp, a bucket or a candle.
If Gunawardane was the Minister of Culture, he would have asked all Buddhists to

light a lantern or lamp on Vesak Day. Since everyone does it anyway he would call this
a great victory, although his directive has made no difference what so ever.
When I started my answer, I said that tuition masters don't hold classes till the very
end. But there was one tuition master who held classes till the very last. And that was
Gunawardane when he was conducting tuition classes.
Ven. Akurugoda Gunaratana Thera Tuition master
BY Umesh Moramudali
Q:
What is the importance of tuition to education?
A: The rapid growth of the tuition culture is symbolic of the decline in State education.
Tuition classes serve as an aid to education. Today, education is a complex issue.
School teachers have a lot of other work aside to teaching. In reality, schools have
turned into places where pages in the form of charts and time tables pertaining to
details about terms and daily activities are being filled. Some of this paper filling is
necessary. This, however, has placed an undue burden on the teachers. Thus, this
pressure has resulted in a lack of opportunities to impart knowledge. This is where the
tuition classes come into the fray.
Q:
Students attend tuition classes without attending sessions in schools. What do you
make of this?
A : Certain students particularly during the period they are studying for their Advanced
Levels (A/Ls) do not attend school, but instead opt for tuition. This is definitely a
problem. A solution must be found to this. This could be because the student has lost
faith in the system. Yet, the student has faith in the tuition class. The Ministry of
Education may issue gazettes and schools may call for compulsory 80% attendance.
This is not the way to go about it as the students need to feel like wanting to go to

school. Motivation is necessary. The methods of teaching should become modernized

and a change in attitudes is necessary.
Q:
Are educational reforms necessary?
A : Education should be reformed but not in the type that is mapped out in airconditioned rooms. Students should be talked to. In most cases those who create
reforms have not taught in a class. Only 730 days are there for two years to learn the
syllabus and this includes the weekends. The syllabus is vast and therefore does not
allow time for the student to reflect freely. The teachers are thus forced to rush through
and the students therefore face a problem grasping things. The student's mind and the
exam pattern must be understood.
Q:
Should tuition classes be regulated?
A : Regulatory mechanisms are absolutely essential in the tuition sector, otherwise the
children will suffer. In certain cases, Ordinary Levels and A/Ls teachers do not have
the qualifications to teach. Tuition has become a fashion, thus leading to the decline in
youth. The Minister of Education and the officials are all responsible for this as they
are resorting to passing the ball. How many issues were there in the 2014 A/L
Economics paper and the marking scheme?
Q:
Tuition teachers are accused of paper leaks. What do you think of this?
A : Tuition teachers are rightfully charged with involvement in paper leaks. It is the
tuition teacher who looks for the paper and does this. The exams are conducted by the
government and the Department of Examinations and they must protect papers and
their content with utmost secrecy. Who created a foundation for the tuition teacher to
get hold of the papers? These are the people who need to be caught. There is no point
in catching the tuition teacher. The problem is internal. What has happened to

education in this country is what has happened to the entire society.

Posted by Thavam