Features
Ideological and Class Contradictions in China’s Education Sector
by Kumar David
Two important aspects of Chinese polity help explain why recent interventions of the state in education have created dislocation, or reform, depending on your pro- or anti-China political proclivities. To use an old-fashioned term, the state in China is Stalinist in the sense that it embraces all power and is unwilling to tolerate dissent or criticism. (There are those who say that this is what ensured rapid economic growth and eradicated poverty, but that’s a different side that I don’t wish to be dragged into today). The Chinese CP is ideologically totalitarian: “Total” in the sense that it will not share space and air with other ideologies (bourgeois or capitalist creeds, the Christian Churches, Fulan Gong, competing political theories or ‘heretical’ Marxist interpretations). This is because the CCP is theoretically insecure and alarmed by competition in “belief space”; its Marxism is formulaic. This essay does not embark on an assessment of the rights and wrongs of CCP ideology; for today I only want you to stay with my description for the remainder of this essay.
The other aspect of Chinese state, society and economy that I take as a premise is that China is not a capitalist State, whatever features of capitalism it integrates into its economic and institutional structures. I argued this at length and depth in a paper at the Hector Abhayavardena Felicitation Symposium in 2000, “China’s Socialist Market Economy: Viable Concept or Oxymoron”. (Proceedings edited by Rajan Philips and published by Marshal Fernando’s Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue in 2001). The thesis advanced in that paper remains remarkably valid still, 21 years on. If this monkey may be allowed to shamelessly praise its own tail, it is the best characterisation of the Chinese State to date. I cannot summarise a 30 or 40 page paper here but a few cardinal points are worth recalling.
The mode of production, extraction of surplus value and the processes of reproduction in China do not correspond to what Marx described as capitalism. Nor do they mirror capitalism now prevailing in American and Western manifestations. Sure there are rich entrepreneurs and investors (capitalists) in China and an educated fast advancing middle class. The commanding heights of ‘old’ economy (oil, minerals, energy, heavy industry) are exclusively state owned. Entrepreneurship and new technology (export industry, high-tech, and finance-capital) are predominantly in the hands of a new capitalist class. China possesses a prominent capitalist class (owners of capital) but that class is not at the helm of state. A monopoly of state power rests with the Communist Party and the foundation of the Party is 80 million strong – a mass base. Oh hell! You wail that you don’t know what descriptive label to stick on this animal. You are at a loss for a good definition for this state form? Welcome to the club; let’s call it a Duckbilled Platypus. Biology and history go their way and care not a whit for your bookish travails.
To return to the theme of this essay, the sudden changes that have been made in the educational structure were so unexpected that it took the country by surprise. I cannot detail it all, so I have provided you with four URLs to Hong Kong and American sites. Furthermore these changes in education parallel radical state interventions in the control of private enterprises undertaken in recent months.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/chinas-sweeping-crackdown-on-big-tech-is-a-wake-up-call.html
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3143551/why-china-cracked-down-education-and-upended-us70-billion
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3143974/chinas-education-crackdown-only-scratched-surface-whats-come
https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3144070/beijings-education-crackdown-hits-duolingo-memrise-language-learning
A one para synopsis of my discussion last week (8 Aug: “Uncertain Sino-US Relations in the Biden Era”) about the state muscling in on private enterprises must suffice. E-marketing, social-media and ‘Fintech’ (finance-technology) giants like Alibaba, Ant-Group, Tencent, ByteDance, TikTok and ride-hailing (Uber like) Didi, are all being tethered and put under tight control. Listing in foreign markets (New York and Hong Kong), scrutiny of corporate data and alleged illegal collection and use of personal data, are under stringent review. The truth is that it is a two pronged strategy; obsession with political control, and secondly enhanced anti-trust policy intervention. At this time when anti-trust policies are falling by the wayside in America the second is a forward step. Sure big money talks loud in China, but whether you like it or not the Party talks louder; make no mistake about that. Big capital and its Congressional caucuses, the GOP and America’s media determine how far a President can go in flouting the interests of capital and finance capital in the US – that’s a different ballgame.
The material below is culled from the four websites I mentioned above but my views are woven in throughout, hence the responsibility is mine. Why China cracked down on education and upended a US$70+ billion tutoring industry affecting millions of students and thousands of jobs, was to control discourse and ideology. Xi Jinping believes that ideology needs to be “rectified” at the root, which is the educational process itself. After-school tutoring establishments were told by the education ministry that teaching material would be subject to “advanced censorship”. The government, as I suggested in para one above, is alarmed that the content of private tutoring courses may not adhere to the official line.
The State Council banned for-profit teaching of core subjects after school and restricted foreign investment in teaching companies. Classes on holidays and during winter and summer vacations are prohibited. One specific instruction is that teachers based in overseas countries are “strictly banned” from participating in teaching in China. Inexplicably the ban has been extended to overseas-based language-learning apps such as Duo-lingo, Mem-rise and Bee-ling-app, which have disappeared from app stores. Duo-lingo one of the world’s most popular language-learning apps offers courses in 40 languages and has 40 million users, 15 million in China, says the South China Morning Post. Tech giants Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance have also jumped on the bandwagon and invested in the $70+ billion private education sector.
Learning factories in China
The ban has a vital social side. Just as with the movement against the private medical college in Sri Lanka, educational inequality is an explosive issues among low-income students. Low-income citizens and rural areas resent poor opportunities to benefit from the private tutoring industry for upward mobility. After-school tutoring where it is available and for those who can afford the best, helps only the upper strata to strengthen its position. (See Ramya Kumar “KNDU: MBBS for the rich, crumbs for the poor” in The Island 10 August: https://island.lk/kndu-mbbs-for-the-rich-crumbs-for-the-poor/ for the local counterpart). My Hong Kong friends insist that sociological concerns are far more pressing than ideological ones in Chinese language social media debates on ongoing reforms. Property prices are soaring in the vicinity of good schools because of “catchment’ rules and the poor have no chance of owning property in the vicinity. There is much anger in the poorer sections of society about unequal educational opportunities.
The overseas press does not give prominence to complaints from low-income families but this is a major confrontational social issue that the Party is facing. Xi Jinping criticised after-school tutoring in 2018: “It has increased burdens on students and family financial burdens, violated education law and disrupted normal order in education. A conscientious industry cannot run as a profit-seeking industry. Off-campus training institutions must be regulated so that they can return to the track of educating people.” In public debate the government is under fierce criticism from the “common man” for failing to provide adequate, let alone equal opportunities. Bloomberg calls Xi Jinping’s initiative “progressive authoritarianism”. The unprecedented crackdown comes from the top, beyond education ministry control. The intention is not to target private enterprise but to “rectify education itself”. The education market is careening wildly but the government wants it to keep a distance from large capital because the issue has ignited much anger at the grassroots level.
Middleclass parents on the other hand are concerned that the crackdown on for-profit tutoring will hurt their children’s prospects. Typically: “I’m terrified every day. I don’t know if the classes I signed my daughter up for can be completed. I can’t stop sending her to after-school tutoring, because the school-selection mechanism has not changed, and every parent wants their child to go to a better school”. Well-off and middle class families see the tutoring industry as a means to an enhanced social status and ensure a more prosperous future for their progeny. It is unnecessary to expand on this which is a primary concern of parents everywhere.
But there is a deep socio-economic contradiction brewing. The government relies on the educated middle class for economic growth. The economy is surging towards hi-tech which is predicated on the availability of a highly educated population. It can’t afford to damp down on the surge to elitism in education. It is true that China has invested heavily in vocational schools and has the world’s largest vocational educational sector. However elite parents are not fans of vocational schools and want their children to enter prestigious universities. It’s a perennial concern everywhere in the world but more acute in China than the West due to an inherited and still prevailing cultural ethos.
There is another dimension to the crisis. Thanks to the one-child policy legacy the country faces a demographic crunch. Pivoting away from this policy did not create a baby boom; the country’s population in 2100 will be about half its current size. There are rumours of making divorce more difficult! This threatens China’s long-term economic and geopolitical prospects. In the short-term the CCP is subordinating growth and profitability for broader national objectives but whichever way things turn the challenge ahead is profound. It is going to be Xi Jinping’s most testing encounter. Clearly China is ready to weather a downturn in stock market valuations as a result of its crackdown on Tech and Fintech giants, but failure to provide adequate educational opportunities for the populace at large while ensuring high quality education for China’s best will be a far graver challenge.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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