‘War has ruined education of NE Tamil students’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 October 2003, 18:12 GMT]
The Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies in the Vavuniya campus of the Jaffna University, Mr.R. Nanthakumar, Tuesday said that the twenty-year war has ruined the education of students in the Northeast province, and the standard of education among Tamil students in the province has gone down to the extent that more students enter universities on district quota system than on merit as in the past.

He reminded the audience who attended the World Teachers Day celebrations held at the Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College Tuesday that one of the primary causes for the freedom struggle of Tamils in this country was the introduction of standardization of admission to university. In those days, Tamil students demanded admission solely on merit.

Chief guest Mr.Nanthakumar speaking ( background statue is Swami Vipulananda, first Principal of the Hindu College.)

“It is sad to note that the twenty year old war has ruined the education of the Tamil students in the province, and the northeast Tamil students today have to gain admission to universities under the district quota schemes," said Mr. Nanthakumar in his keynote address.

If the intake of students to universities on district quota system were reduced, it would certainly affect the northeast Tamil students and would drastically reduce the number of NE Tamil students entering universities, said Mr. Nanthakumar.

He said that it is the bounden duty of Tamil teachers to work hard and with dedication to raise the standard of education of northeast Tamil students, ensuring that they should again enter universities on merit and not under the district quota system.

College Principal Mr.Thndayuthapani speaks

The Principal of the college and the President of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union, Mr.S.Thandauthapani, said the Sri Lankan government has not formulated a code of ethics for teachers of the country. Every time when educationists discuss educational reforms, all would suggest that teachers needed a code of ethics. However the lawmakers forget it thereafter, he said.

Those in power who remind the duties of teachers at every seminar and workshop deliberately forget to ensure the rights of teachers, he said.

The event was jointly organized by the College Old Boys Association and the School development Society, and presided over by Mr.N.Mahendran, President of the OBA, sources said.



A section of students participating World Teachers Day at Sri Koneswara Hindu College




( L-R ) from third OBA President Mr.Mahendran, Principal Mr.Thndayuthapani, SDS Secretary Mr.S.Ratnavadivel, Dr.E.G.Gnanagunalan are seen on the stage