“Free Education,which was introduced by Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, has been grossly neglected. The time has now arrived to revisit those policies in a bid to defeat the challenges posed by various elements with vested interests, through vernacular education. It is indeed the need of the hour to work collectively, to defeat the enemies of free education to usher in national freedom, thereby doing justice to Kannangara’s philosophy. Everyone of us has to unite for this national cause”, said parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa addressing a ceremony held at the Matugama Auditorium to mark the 123rd birth anniversary of Dr. C.W. W. Kannangara the Father of Free Education.
Mr. Weerawansa further said that the free education system introduced by Dr. Kannangara opened the doors for Sri Lankans so seek higher education opportunities. If not for the opportunity of vernacular education we would have been a very depressed and discriminated against nation today. Hence it is the duty of all of us to remember this great personality said Mr. Weerawansa.
3 Comments
Sudharaka
The people of this country should first ask what right the JVP ex-terrorists have to talk about education. This is the same bridge that closed the universities for ages, and brought down the students to the roads for their stupid revolution in late 1980s. Weerawansa’s colleagues were the same people who assassinated reputed scholars of Sri Lanka like Prof. Patuwathawithana and Prof. Stanley Wijesundera. So what right Weerawansa, an individual who has carried ‘gal katas’ to kill reputed academics has to talk about education. It is a pity that one in the audience had the guts to give a ‘pol tokka’ to this idiot and bring him down the stage.
Coordinator
Those who praise the free of charge education system must not forget that the Central Colleges were not meant to be egalitarian (or free-of-charge to all). They were for the best of the best and provided with best facilities. All selected studnets were given hostel facilities. There wwere meant to be one (or two?) per district.
Problems started when the governments tried to extend the concept without providing the necessary resources.
Mahinda Chinthanaya is not new. It has been practiced all along.
Sudharaka
Let me add to the above comment, the Central schools were supposed to be English medium. They were supposed to produce quality scholars not born idiots like Weerawansa who thinks Sri Lankan can be disconnected from the outside world like pulling an electric plug. This ‘meti-mola’ is not suited even to clean the toilets in a Central school Dr. Kannangara envisioned.
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