Thursday, May 26, 2011

Is LankaWeb for Open Discussions and or believe in Freedom of Expression?

University Students To Army Boot Camps.
Posted on May 6th, 2011

Sasanka De Silva, Pannipitiya,

The government’s decision to send students who are eligible for university admission in 2011 to Army camps to expose them to leadership techniques, English language and IT training is a flawed decision.
Thanks to our old fashion paper-marking systems, first students have to wait for months to get the examination results, followed by a couple of more moths for the re-correction process to end and finally the University admissions results.
The students lose almost a year due to the process and unfortunately not many of them avail this free time for any useful activity.
Therefore, if the government is so keen on turning the trend for good use then, putting children through a well coordinated National Service Duty programmed after their Advanced Level Examination is not a bad idea.
National Service Duty does not mean sending children to boot-camps.
Instead, they can be trained as back up force to function in the services that are called as essential services such as running hospitals, sea and airports, vital power and energy supplies, mass transport etc.
Such an act would protect the country from unwarranted industrial actions organized by unscrupulous trade unionists, whom hitherto held a monopolistic advantage when dealing and bargaining in such issues.
If we are to see an improvement in the English language proficiency among school children, then the present teaching methods adopted to teach them English language too has to be put under the microscope.
If someone can master a complicated language like Sinhala, then learning English would not be that difficult but what is holding many back is needed to be analyzed and come up with solutions to counter them.
Still owning a personal computer is far beyond the common man’s reach and the latest statistics show the penetration of computers in to society is far far below.
And to make the matter worse the availability of electricity and internet connectivity in many parts of the country is dismal.
Unless those issues are addressed correctly, putting students who are eligible for university admission through a rapid “Catch All If You Can” sort of training programme for another three more months is nothing but utter waste of time.
We are far behind compared to regional and world educational standards and wasting a few more months on a useless programme takes us nowhere except further back.
It is time to shift to FORWARD Gear and not to reverse.
Over to you, the pundits who pretend that they know everything, if you are listening.

8 Responses to “University Students To Army Boot Camps.”
  1. AnuD Says:
    I think partial army training is very good for university students. I think that will help many students in various ways. Except for weapon training, other things should be taught.
    Even before we see the outcome of any such training how can we predict based on assumptions.
    UN:C [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +2 (from 4 votes)
  2. Vis8 Says:
    Army training builds discipline, self-control and confidence. There’s nothing wrong with undergrads getting an army training.
    UN:C [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +2 (from 4 votes)
  3. Lorenzo Says:
    This is a very good move. At last the government has managed to peacefully (without using thugs) bring unruly uni students into line. Few months at an army camp will do heaps of good to everyone. We will see a remarkable improvement in uni student’s rowdy behaviour, leadership (which is non-existent today) and their sense of right and wrong (which is not there today).
    UN:F [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +2 (from 4 votes)
  4. KingSasanka Says:
    Discipline has to be inculcated at homes from very tender age and not at Boot-camps 20 years after.
    If one defines discipline as waking up early morning, running a few miles and climbing a rope ladder while a Drill sergeant is breathing down your neck then sending children to boot camps is the best way.
    But I do not think that is what we want to achieve.
    Look at the recent past robberies, murders, rapes, extortions etc and most of them have been committed by the so-called the disciplined lot who have already been put through Boot-camps before their inductions.
    The concept of National Service Duty means to teach children of tomorrow much more useful, marketable and employable skills than climbing rope ladders.
    This is a double-edge sword.
    It improves our gene-pool as far as the skills levels are concerned and opens another viable option to fall back in a national crisis situation.
    To reap the best benefits, timing and contents of such programmes are paramount.
    UA:C [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +1 (from 3 votes)
  5. Lorenzo Says:
    Army deserters by definition are not disciplined. Uni graduates cannot be compared to army deserters.
    True, discipline begins at home but what if it is not happening? Discipline is attending this session itself! And taking instructions from someone, learning to give instructions, learning in a disciplined environment, etc. Going through this does not in any way hinder the uni course they will study.
    Apart from a few anti-social elements, most people don’t have a problem going through this.
    UN:D [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +1 (from 3 votes)
  6. KingSasanka Says:
    So it is confirmed basing on your description of the Army deserters that putting people through Boot Camp is no sure way of inculcating discipline.
    Getting selected for a place in university education in such a competitive examination is no mean task and had those children not been disciplined, I am sure they would not have achieved it.
    Here the issue is the timing and the contents of the programme as stated in my previous submission.
    We are already late and wasting more time on not properly coordinated Boot Camp activities serves no purpose to the country or to those children.
    And without properly and seriously addressing the things that are needed to be addressed most urgently (like re-examining the teaching methods, availability of infrastructures and services) this Boot Camp venture too will also be like many of our previous such ventures ended in “Pussa Binda” wage.
    UA:D [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +2 (from 4 votes)
  7. Lorenzo Says:
    Simply BS.
    By this program no uni course will be affected. They will go ahead as before. The English program will also go ahead as before.
    The timing cannot be better.
    UN:F [1.9.8_1114]
    Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
  8. Kithsiri De Silva Says:
    Even up to now no one knows when the Advanced Level re-correction results will be made available.
    Once that is finalized only the selections to universities will be done.
    By introducing those useless Boot Camps no university course will be affected but the real studies will be further delayed and that is why the timing has to be important as much as the contents.
    Yes I totally agree when one cannot back up one’s argument with credible facts and figures, it is Simply B S.
    Remember the song ;
    Maha Muhuden Wata Kerichcha, Amba Gediya Hedaya Gattha Ratak Thiyanawa
    How appropriate the message in this song in this context too.
    Jaya Wewa.
    A.K.A. KingSasanka.
This was my last posting on the subject and now see the link below and some of the previous postings have been taken down.
This was not the first and it will not be the last.
Why?
Because LankaWeb do not believe the true sense of open discussions.
They are only here to propagate one-side views and most importantly to APPLE POLISH!
If YOU truly believe in open discussions and freedom of expression, then let the LankaWeb Editor know of your displeasure.
The other part of that Song goes like this " Ea Rate Minissu Thanikara Kelinne Pissu "
Thanks.
Sasanka De Silva.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Like The Lemmings, We Too Will Have To Walk To The Sea One Day !

Immediately after celebrating the most auspicious days in the Buddhist calendar, the Bars, Taverns, Meat & 
Betting shops are in full swing again.


Not to mentioned the other vises too.

Who patronizes those joints and indulge in other vises too are mostly are the so-called Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka.

I think they are happy to live a hypocritical life, blaming others for all their failings.

No responsibility, no accountability.

The Enlightened one has told that fools look at the tip of the finger when being shown the Moon.

The amount of money is wasted on Wesak celebrations is sacrilegious.

The modern day investment in the Material or Hospitality offerings (amisa-puja) is thousand folds higher than the Practice offerings (patipatti-puja).

If the masses can be educated to curtailed the investments in Amisa-puja and spend that time, effort and investment on something much more useful like sending at least one needy child to school, college and beyond, the dividend of such investment would soon be felt.

Lack of investments in education means poor nation and the poor can be easily manipulated and/or bought and the majority of the poor will be the Sinhala Buddhist lot.

The clergy, Media and the educated ones have not done enough to re-direct the masses thinking style in the correct path.

Like the Lemmings, we too will have to walk to the sea one day if nothing is done to change our mindset immediately.

Do not wait for someone to come and changed the world for you.

Take responsibility; be accountable for your own deeds and then the world would be a better place to live.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Travails of ADSL Connection

Internet Services Providers, from time to time lure new customers to their nets by promising cheaper and faster connections.

I have no qualm of such schemes.

However, I believe that they should pay more attention and care to their existing customers than to their prospective ones.

A person gasping for his last breath on his death bed is not a pretty sight to watch and unfortunately I have seen a couple of them.

 Looking at the twinkling lights of my ADSL router reminds me of them again.

The promise of ADSL was luring enough to subscribe to but now I think it would have been much better off with my previous Dial-up connection, given the exorbitant amount they charge for an extremely poor service.

Sometimes I wonder what the regulating authorities are doing.

My experience is not an isolated one and I am confident that many would greatly appreciate if the concerned governing authority would look into such allegations and take corrective measures soon.

Please charge us for the service that we were promised and subscribed in to and not to something that reminds me of dying men.

We the Home Users do not have the sophisticated measuring equipment to measure the service levels but having seen how it was functioning at the beginning tells me that we do not get what we have been promised yet  still charges for the same amount.

Over to you, the concerned regulatory authority officials (TRA), if you are listening (reading!).

Friday, May 06, 2011

University Students To Army Boot Camps.

The government’s decision to send students who are eligible for university admission in 2011 to Army camps to expose them to leadership techniques, English language and IT training is a flawed decision.

Thanks to our old fashion and outdated paper-marking systems, students have to wait for months to get the examination results first, followed by a couple of more moths for the re-correction process to end and finally the University admissions results.

At the end the students lose almost a year due to these lethargic processes and unfortunately not many of them avail this free time available to them for any useful activity.

Therefore, if the government is so keen on turning the trend for good use, then putting children through a well coordinated National Service Duty programme immediately after their Advanced Level Examination is over is not a bad idea.

However, National Service Duty does not mean sending children to boot-camps.

Instead, they can be trained as back up force to function in the services that are called as Essential Services such as running hospitals, sea and airports, vital power and energy supplies, mass transports, Communication etc.
  
Such an act would protect the country from unwarranted industrial actions organized by unscrupulous trade unionists too, whom hitherto held a monopolistic advantage when dealing and bargaining in such issues.

If we are to see an improvement in the English language proficiency among school children, then the present teaching methods adopted to teach them English language too has to be put under the microscope.

If someone can master a complicated language like Sinhala, then learning English would not be that difficult but what is holding many back is needed to be analyzed and come up with simple solutions to counter them.

Still owning a personal computer is far beyond the common man’s reach and the latest statistics show the penetration of computers in the Sri Lankan society is far far below.

And to make the matter worse the availability of electricity and internet connectivity in many parts of the country is dismal.

Unless those issues are addressed correctly, putting students who are eligible for university admission through a rapid “Catch All If You Can” sort of training programme for another three more months is nothing but utter waste of time only.

We are far behind compared to regional and world educational standards and wasting a few more months on a useless programme takes us nowhere except further back.

It is time to shift Gear to FORWARD and not to reverse.