Quality education is founded on bedrock of cultural identity – President at STC

The quality education, to be complete, must be founded on the bedrock of cultural identity. A mind, however cultivated, but without cultural moorings, is pushed around by wind and wave. A man without awareness of the well-springs of his culture is little more than a robot, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“Although the world is rapidly becoming a global village, there is a natural instinct in all of us to search for our cultural roots. I think this is, in essence, a hunt for security, within our minds and hearts, in the midst of great uncertainty and instability,” said President Rajapaksa at the annual prize giving of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia on Thursday.

One of the significant weaknesses of our education system today, which our Government is in earnest about rectifying, is the current emphasis on rote learning. Education is not about absorbing, retaining and reproducing extensive volumes of factual material. That destroys the spirit of independent inquiry which is the central purpose or the core of education, the President added.

The President said: “I believe that it is the duty of every school to impart to its students education which is of a holistic nature. Education is a total process directed towards the development of mind, body and character. Not only academic achievement but sports, extracurricular activities and cultural activities must consistently receive in-depth attention in the curriculum of every educational institution.”

Following is the full text of the speech:

Your Grace Diloraj Canagasabey, Bishop of Colombo, Members of the Board of Governors, Warden Reverend John Puddefoot, members of the staff, students, parents, old boys, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to be present at the Annual Prize Giving and to participate in this way in one of the most significant events of the calendar of S. Thomas’ College and I must thank the Board of Governors and the Warden for inviting my wife and me to this occasion.

This gives me particular pleasure because of my own close connection with your school through the lives and careers of my three sons, all of whom received their education in this institution. S. Thomas’ equipped them not only in terms of their own academic training but in a far deeper sense, preparing them in every way for the challenges that lie ahead in life.

Through its 150-year history, several basic values it has stood for and sought to instil in the thousands of students who have had the good fortune to learn here, stand out clearly and distinctly. Many of these values have a direct bearing on the priorities of our country, as we embark on a new and exciting chapter in our history.

I am particularly happy to note that S. Thomas’ has throughout its history produced many men of eminence, including prime ministers, cabinet ministers and a large number of professionals who have served our nation well. Our Government is also served by many of your old boys, including a few Ministers in my Cabinet. A very eminent educationist and an erudite legal academic, Professor G.L. Peiris is one of them.

Your school represents the ideal of a happy family, without any differences as to language, culture or ethnic background. You have consistently provided an exemplary environment for students of all communities and faiths to live, study and play together in total amity and friendship. The education imparted here, and the setting in which it is offered, emphasise the reservoir of shared values and traditions which are certainly strong enough to hold our nation together.

The friendships that are forged here cut across narrow divisions and stay throughout life. Healthy attitudes of sharing, of partnership and solidarity, which unify the school community, must be inculcated in the formative period of childhood and early youth.

This represents our major national challenge, as well, today. With the eradication of terrorism and the dawn of a stable peace, we have the opportunity, after almost a quarter of a century, to put our country on the path of rapid economic and social development. The need of the hour is inclusivity, in every sense of the word.

We have today the capability to exploit without any hindrance the natural advantages of our country and the unique calibre of our human resources, and we must ensure that the benefits are enjoyed in the fullest measure by all our citizens. There can be no better preparation for this than the training which is provided within the walls of a school.

Education, whatever its range and depth, can offer a wholesome foundation for life only if it is under-pinned by a scale of values and a sense of proportion. Our faith and spiritual commitment, whatever it may be, is the sheet anchor of our behaviour and the decisions we make in life.

A mere body of knowledge, imparted in a vacuum, without the strength of deep-rooted convictions, and devoid of focus on right and wrong, can never provide a basis for the formation of character. It can only lead to a cynical outlook on life. This is why religious instruction, and an atmosphere suitable for it, form an essential part of a complete education.

Shiranthi and I have involved ourselves actively in the academic and sports activities of our sons, and followed with enthusiasm their progress through the College. Even at the busiest of times I have considered it important to attend the College Prize Giving and many sports activities to applaud and encourage not only our own children but all their peers who justly celebrate their success. I believe, all parents, whatever the demands on their time, should share fully the joys, the sorrows and the aspirations of their children as they move forward through the different stages of their education.

I believe that it is the duty of every school to impart to its students education which is of a holistic nature. Education is a total process directed towards the development of mind, body and character. Not only academic achievement but sports, extracurricular activities and cultural activities must consistently receive in-depth attention in the curriculum of every educational institution. In the field of sports, a school must foster an attitude which encourages a team spirit, sustained by the give and take of companionship, in confronting challenges.

One of the significant weaknesses of our education system today, which our Government is in earnest about rectifying, is the current emphasis on rote learning. Education is not about absorbing, retaining and reproducing extensive volumes of factual material. That destroys the spirit of independent inquiry which is the central purpose or the core of education.

This school has had the good fortune to be served over the decades by dedicated teachers who sought no other reward than the success and fulfilment of the students who passed through their hands. In a world dominated by mercenary values, theirs is a shining example and a source of inspiration to us all.

Just two months ago, we mourned the demise of Deshamanya Kalasuri Arisen Ahubudu. His life and work embody the qualities I have in mind. Together with several of his peers who shared his passion, he devoted himself, with neither promise nor expectation of material reward, to enriching the lives of his students and preparing them for the journey of life.

This is a voyage of discovery in which, on every day in school, the student would learn something new to deepen his understanding, sharpen his instincts and broaden his horizons. It is a journey in the course of which he would acquire the courage to conquer himself and the world. It is also, Your Grace, an enterprise in which he would be trained to abandon selfishness in pursuit of the goal of collective achievement.

The House system, which many schools adopt, and which is a characteristic of life at S. Thomas’, and team games provide a strong impetus to this focus on community, as opposed to self. I note with satisfaction that your school offers a number of prizes which are awarded not for individual accomplishment but for the collective excellence of a group.

A school must not be a place to safeguard privilege. The extreme pressure for admission to all grades at S. Thomas’ is a clear indication of the ability you have shown to maintain the highest educational standards over the years. Many of our leading government schools are under extreme pressure to admit children beyond their capacity.

Your school, I am glad, has also taken care to ensure, by means of an extensive scheme of bursaries, scholarships and other arrangements that talented children from less affluent backgrounds are not denied access to the quality education you offer. I would particularly like to pay tribute to this refreshing concern for equity and social justice.

I strongly believe that quality education, to be complete, must be founded on the bedrock of cultural identity. A mind, however cultivated, but without cultural moorings, is pushed around by wind and wave. A man without awareness of the well-springs of his culture is little more than a robot. Although the world is rapidly becoming a global village, there is a natural instinct in all of us to search for our cultural roots. I think this is, in essence, a hunt for security, within our minds and hearts, in the midst of great uncertainty and instability.

Cultural identity is an oasis, fertile and self-renewing, without which we would have to build our lives and our careers in the arid sand of the desert. It is a matter of deep satisfaction to me that, as my motherland was saved from the grip of terror, the humblest home in the land expressed their feelings of dignity and pride by hoisting the national flag. I have noticed, whenever I attended functions, whether in cities or towns or in the rural heartland, Sri Lankans without any difference, sing the national anthem with a new spirit in their voice.

I was greatly heartened to observe, at the recent ordination of His Grace Diloraj Canagasabey as the new Bishop of Colombo, which I had the honour to attend, that cultural rites and practices, indigenous to our country formed a feature of the service. This establishes, I have no doubt, an immediate link with members of the congregation and enhances the relevance and value of the experience as an integral part of their lives and their faith. Indeed, I am convinced that the learning experience, our religious faith and the cultural traditions which represent our legacy, are all woven into a seamless web.

I felicitate today not only those among you who have brought joy to your parents and families by carrying away prizes and awards which recognise excellence, but also the wider student community and, even more so, your dedicated teachers who have created the enabling environment which makes these achievements possible.

I wish you all a prosperous future.