WE NEED TO RETURN TO THE ENGLISH MEDIUM

by Goolbai Gunasekera

The Sinhalese population of Sri Lanka is approximately 16.5 million. Yet sadly, generations of children in this tiny, tiny proportion of the global population have little or no global contact. They speak no global link language despite having had an excellent language system in place at the time of Independence. Many of that 16.5 million people barely speak English and the majority certainly cannot read or write it despite English being taught (appallingly badly) in all schools.

When we achieved Independence, English should have been encouraged and kept in place so that the outstations and backward schools were brought up to the existing standards of the better developed schools without totally lowering them to accommodate the ambitions of politicians who sang the Sinhala-Buddhist song to lull ignorant voters to sleep. That egregious quota system was brought in as a temporary law but has since never been repealed. Standards of English deteriorated so fast it was pathetic.

Those who understood that the oncoming divisive language policies would end in tragedy were called an unpatriotic or a privileged elite. Chauvinism and bogus Nationalism ruled the day. The University authorities even wondered whether they should separate the Halls of Residence in Peradeniya racially. My appalled mother, Deshabandu Clara Motwani, was among those educationists who objected strenuously enough to scuttle that idiotic scheme.

At long last Kumar David has voiced what many Sri Lankans believe is vital for the people of Sri Lanka to reach the former levels of education. A return to the English Medium of instruction in schools is desperately needed.

The world is in turmoil and Sri Lanka is one of the worst hit. It is a time for change and this is a perfect moment (in our constantly down-sliding history) to TOTALLY revise our educational policy which a series of dishearteningly inept Ministers of Education have reduced to its present state

At long last there is a feeling of unity among all of us in this lovely island. Let us forget the ‘Sinhala Only’ policies that have been so divisive in the past and switch the medium of instruction to English. Let us forget chauvinistic and outworn nationalistic ideas and begin to take steps into a new unified world. Let us remember that ‘He who opens a school door closes a prison.’ A proper education is one of the most powerful weapons in the hands of any Government. It is absolutely criminal if it is used for political advantage.

No one suggests that Sinhala or Tamil be ignored. It must be taught compulsorily, but English must be given top priority so that our youngsters can begin to compete and operate fully in an English speaking, Internet and Cyber world. Foolish Nationalism is not patriotism.

At this point PLEASE do not say, “Look at the Scandinavians with small populations, which manage perfectly well without English”. Of course they do . Here are a few reasons why.

1. They are wealthy countries.

2. They have superb second language teaching methods in place.

3. They have the technology AND THE MONEY to back up such methods.

4. They have trained teachers with Master’s Degrees in almost every subject. (Finland )

5. They all use the same script.

6. European countries populations mix frequently with each other economically, socially and politically.

7. Geographical proximity ensures that they speak several languages fluently.

8. Forward thinking countries are aware that English is now a global necessity. All inventions, discoveries, and new ideas are rushed into print in English as the educated world reads English above other languages. English is given great importance

9. Small, rich nations can afford translations to the benefit of their citizens.

Due to the defunct British empire about 50 nations use English as their official language. Others do so in semi official ways. Sri Lanka makes a big noise about teaching English but the methods of doing so are archaic. I quote from a WhatApp message I received from a former maid now in Kuwait.. She writes, “yers madam iam gud,” in response to my query , “are you well?” She has an OL pass in English. This would be funny if it were not so pathetic.

The language policies of Sri Lanka are stupidly backward while the example of India stands before us as the success of a highly patriotic nation in which the English standards achieved are amazingly high. Their writers of English are among the best in the world.

Sri Lanka had such men in the past. There are just a handful left today. Even our career diplomat’s English standards leave much to be desired. Good English speech in Sri Lanka is confined to very few of the country. Most of Sri Lanka’s population prefers to interact in Sinhala. Not that this matters but let us remember that only 16.5 million in the world speak it. Without a well taught and island-wide knowledge of a global link language Sri Lanka is doomed to second if not third rate status, Will a few more Kumar Davids please make their voices heard.

Let us take a look at the position of English apart from that of the old Empire territories.. Twenty four countries in Africa list English as their official language. The Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Kenya, Jamaica, Trinidad and MANY others use English as their OFFICIAL means of communication internally and internationally.

Europeans speak it as a matter of course although Europeans speak each other’s languages fluently almost from birth. But here WE are the only Sinhala speaking nation in the world, comprising ONLY 16.2 million Sinhalese people, struggling to keep pace with nations who were earlier considered positively backward. Truly we have been cursed with stupid Governments from the start.

Says Alvin Teffler,”The illiterates of the future will not be the people who cannot read but it will the people who do not know how to learn.” The Sri Lankans are those people. They keep perpetuating the same errors endlessly. The SAME OLD methods of teaching continue.

The same old text book material is churned out. The non-serving quota system continues. The same old University system produces graduates who know less and less in a fast expanding world of knowledge. I must ask ‘DO OUR MINISTERS OF EDUCATION KNOW WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT?”

While standards plummet our Government remains in denial. There is no money in the country so fortunately the education pundits are silent about expanding the appalling system of education further.

The best jobs in international organizations go to those people who use an international language and at the moment it is English. The Indians dominate in high finance and business in the UK and the USA. In areas where Sri Lankans once led they now lag behind. Remember the likes of Shirley Amerasinghe, Gamini Corea, Neville Canekeratne and other Sri Lankans who held high office because of their prowess in English which they spoke so brilliantly?

The new ‘Virtual Empire’ of the internet makes English vital. Job seekers are interviewed by companies on the other side of the world. Indeed the link between globalization and English is tangible. Sri Lanka can no longer afford to be foolishly sentimental and force its children to study in a language spoken by less than a quarter percent of the world’s population.

My views would normally not be tolerated by the vociferous chauvinists who unfortunately use Sinhala as political weapon. But now there is a new feeling of unity in the air. Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Indians are all stating their feeling of oneness with the majority Sinhalese. The Sinhalese on their part (forget the diehard Sinhala Buddhists) are feeling likewise. If English can help to unite Sri Lankans as one people our future leaders should cement this unity instantly.

Sri Lanka was known as the ‘Resplendent Island’ by the Brahmins of yore. It can surely be possible for this country to become resplendent again? How COULD such an intelligent population have made these tragic, tragic mistakes.