Revisiting the role of education in shaping shared futures

BY RANDIMA ATTYGALLE

‘The primary task of a society is to find a real teacher – one who performs his duty with perfection and dedication and is a perfect moral teacher for the society’– Rabindranath Tagore

The Faculty of Education at the University of Colombo which is the pioneering Faculty of Education in Sri Lanka marks 50 years on January 1, 2025.
In an interview with the Sunday Island, Emeritus Professor Marie Perera, one-time Dean of the Faculty of Education and the former Director, National Education Research and Evaluation Centre (NEREC),

elucidates on its evolution and contribution to the teaching landscape of the country.

Following are the excerpts:

Q: In what sense does the Faculty of Education at the University of Colombo mark a milestone in the state university setting of Sri Lanka?

A: When the Faculty was established in 1975, it was the only Faculty of Education in the university system in Sri Lanka. In 2003, the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), established its Faculty of Education. However, aligned with the mission of the OUSL, it was to conduct courses in the Distance Mode. University of Peradeniya and University of Jaffna recommenced their Departments of Education in 1978 and 1990. They remain as departments of education in their respective faculties of Arts. Therefore, the Faculty of Education at University of Colombo marks a milestone in the state university setting when it celebrates 50 years of service as the only Faculty of Education in the ‘conventional university system’ in Sri Lanka.

Q: Who are the stalwarts behind the journey of its evolution?

A: Many of our pioneer educators paved the way for the Faculty of Education to be the center of excellence that it is today. Sadly, many of them are no more with us. However, I am very happy to remember Dr. Elsie Kotelawala who was the pioneering Head of the then Department of Education. With only five permanent staff members to assist her, the feat she achieved was exceptional. Dr. Kotelawala is still a source of inspiration and a ‘living library’ to us.

Former Head of the Department, Prof. C. Kariyawasam who was the longest serving Head of the Department of Humanities Education, former Deans and professors Dr. Raja Gunewardena and Dr. W.G. Kularatne in the Faculty are still resources to us. I acknowledge the services of the founder Dean of the Faculty, the late Emeritus Professor Ranjith Ruberu and all the past Deans, all the academics and non-academics of the Faculty during the last 50 years. I must acknowledge with gratitude the contribution of the late Emeritus Professor Swarna Wijethunga who was the founder Director of NEREC and was also a former Dean. If not for her untiring efforts, we would not be able to boast of a National Education Research Center in the Faculty today.

Q: What are the study programs the Faculty offers today?

A: Among the two main programs is the Four-Year Bachelor of Education Honours Degree for undergraduates. This is a combined Arts/Education Degree. From the academic year 23/24, the Faculty is offering an innovative B.Ed. in Primary Education to a direct intake of undergraduates selected by the UGC based on the A/L cut off marks. This program was initiated at the request of the Ministry of Education.

The second main program is the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) to provide professional development for untrained graduate teachers in the system. In addition to the general PGDE there are specialization courses such as PGDE /TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Post Graduate Diploma in Drama and Theater and a Post Graduate Diploma in Counseling.

In addition, to encourage teachers to Education Research, there are Master of Education, Master of Philosophy and PhD programs. A Master of Education course is also offered to those learning Chinese.

Research Symposium 2024 of the Faculty of Education

Q: How has the Faculty of Education justified its vision of being a ‘center of excellence in scholarship, teaching and research in education, committed to serve humanity’ in its journey todate?

A: Currently there are 419 students following the B.Ed. program. In addition, 1,200 students are following the M.Ed. program and 74 MPhil/ PhD programs. There is a great demand for both Postgraduate Diploma as well as Master’s Programs offered by the Faculty and candidates for these courses are chosen through a selection test. Hence, the demand exceeds the available places. The courses offered by the Faculty, secured an A-Grade at the Institutional Review, conducted in June-July 2023 by the Quality Assurance Council of the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka.

The only Education Research Center in Sri Lanka which is The National Education Research and Evaluation Centre (NEREC,) is also in the Faculty of Education. NEREC had been selected since its inception, to conduct research pertaining to students’ learning outcomes which are funded by the World Bank. Faculty staff and students are involved in conducting these studies.

Q: To what extent has the Faculty bench marked itself with global trends in education so far and what are the areas where it still needs to improve to meet current global trends?

A: Faculty of Education was a part of a project – Contessa, led by the University of Graz, Austria, aimed to further the development of teaching skills in carefully selected partnerships with institutions of higher education. It was held from November 2018 -2022. This was an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission.

In 2012, the Faculty of Education won a Quality Innovation Grant funded by the World Bank to improve doctoral studies. Seven students were selected and all of them completed innovation research and presented the findings overseas and also published papers in peer reviewed journals.

For five years, from 2011, there was staff and student exchange programs with Umea University in Sweden.

At the Annual International Research symposium, many foreign scholars present their papers. In terms of cross-disciplinary studies and research as well as international collaborations, the Faculty still needs to do a lot of work to leverage itself with global trends in education.

Q: Although the Department of Education is responsible for producing teachers with credentials, we do not see a significant collaboration between the department and schools. What measures do you propose to give this relationship more muscle?

A: In many of the universities in developed countries, university teachers are given a period of time to teach in schools to strike a balance between theory and practice which may help to enhance quality and professionalism. However, the experience of the Sri Lankan faculties and departments of education is different. The interaction between universities and schools is increasingly becoming minimal. The main reason for this lack of collaboration is, while the universities fall under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education, the schools come under the Ministry of Education.

Even though teachers are sent by the Ministry of Education on full-time study leave to complete their Postgraduate Diploma in Education, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find placements in schools for their compulsory teaching practicum. This was not the situation in the past. This could be because there are other teacher training institutes such as National Colleges of Education and the Teacher Training Colleges which come under the direct purview of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Education has to priorities these institutes when providing placements for practicum.

In the past, there were practicing schools linked to teacher training institutes. For example, the practicing school for the Teachers’ College Maharagama was the present Maharagama Central College. In some countries, there is a pre-assigned school attached to the faculty or school of education in a university. For example, Vorarlberg University of Education, Austria has a school within the university premises. The school and the university work in collaboration and share their resources; the classrooms are used as lecture rooms in the afternoon and the lecturers and teacher trainees walk in and out of the school for teaching and research purposes. It is worthwhile to explore the possibility of re implementing the practicing school concept.

Q: What are your thoughts about graduates being directly placed in schools for teaching with no prior training?

A: I would answer that question with a cliché, ‘to teach John Latin, you need to know Latin as well as John,’ and I would add how to teach John Latin. When graduates are directly placed in schools without prior training they may know ‘Latin’ which is the subject knowledge, but they will not be able to understand the students nor how to teach them. This is the reason that in developed countries, without a ‘license’ to teach, – which is the professional training, no teacher is allowed to teach in a school.

In Sri Lanka, every government that comes to power, especially before an election gives teaching appointments to unemployed graduates without a systematic professional development program. According to the School census 2023, as many as 37.32% of graduate teachers in government schools are untrained. However, as large number of graduates were recruited to the teaching cadre just prior to the Presidential Election, this number will be more by the next school census. This is a grave situation that needs urgent attention.

Q: In the good old days, there were fully-fledged teachers who were above their subject expertise- equipped with communication skills, social skills etc. which is sadly eroding today. What is the responsibility of relevant state agencies such as universities, training colleges etc. to fill this vacuum and empower teachers who could be good counselors, administrators etc.

A: Education has been the medium through which the noblest ideas of mankind have been transmitted through civilizations. Aristotle has put this succinctly when he remarked that human excellence was his aim in all his efforts in education. Erosion of values is a worldwide phenomenon and the academia in Sri Lanka too is affected by it.

In the Faculty, in all its curricular platforms, development of soft skills is embedded and students are evaluated during teaching practicum by two internal examiners. However, how much of these skills have been internalized can be seen only when they go back to the workplace. Their behaviour in the work place will be influenced by their commitment and love for humanity and the role models available in that sub-culture.

Q: A national policy for education still remains an unrealized dream for Sri Lanka. What are your thoughts?

A: The absence of a strong, consistent and clear-cut national policy on education which is consistently implemented irrespective of the change of political regimes, has been a critical issue that needs careful attention. Since the 1940s, there had been policy proposals but they have never become a long-term national policy. The absence of such a national regulatory framework has caused serious repercussions. Whenever a new government comes in to power, ongoing education reforms are abandoned without a critical review if they are not in line with the new government’s political manifesto. This results in a waste of resources as well.

Q: The skills-based formative years of learning is virtually non-existent in our setting. As an educator what are your thoughts on this matter?

A: We need to change the exam-oriented teaching and make students producers of knowledge rather than consumers of knowledge. Education and learning systems are at a critical juncture. The climate crisis, the pervasive rise of Artificial Intelligence, growing inequality and societal divisions compel us to rethink the role of education in shaping shared futures.

We face an existential choice between continuing an unsustainable path or radically changing course. There is an urgency to shape alternatives and re-imagine possible futures. Education is crucial to this change of course. It has great potential to help shape more just, inclusive and sustainable futures by re-balancing our relationships with each other, the living planet and technology. Yet, to do so, education itself must be transformed.

Q: What are the most urgent reforms you would like to lobby to address Sri Lanka’s outmoded education system, especially in terms of producing future-ready professionals who can meet the current job demands?

A: Teaching methodologies must be radically changed for the newly emerging times of flux as most education systems now in existence were established for other times and purposes with the ‘one size fit for all’ model intended to produce learners who store inert knowledge in a passive manner.

It is also important to produce globally competent, professional socialized teachers in an interdependent globalized world. Professional socialization is the process of learning the values, attitudes, skills and knowledge that are part of a profession. In this context, the present need is for teachers who will be knowledge-producers rather than mere knowledge-consumers.

Teachers must be equipped with the minimum competencies such as the 7Cs of Conceptualization, Communication, Commitment, Collaboration, Compassion, Critical thinking, and Creativity as well as digital dexterity.

According to the great guru Rabindranath Tagore, “the primary task of a society is to find a real teacher – one who performs his duty with perfection and dedication and is a perfect moral teacher for the society.” This is rather a tall order but the Faculty of Education has to strive towards this goal.

Q: Finally, as the Faculty Education marks its 50 years, what are its future plans to take it to the next level and become a stronger hub of academic excellence?

A: Throughout the history of the Faculty, the greatest challenge had been the inadequate physical and human resources. The problem of space was alleviated to a certain extent when the Faculty was granted a four-storied multi-functional building in 2011.

However, the challenge of human resources still continues with 53 approved cadre out of which 23 are vacant. The collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Faculty is also a major challenge. Laboratories are where new knowledge is created in science and technology fields. Similarly, classrooms are the laboratories for education faculties.

In order to take the Faculty of Education to the next level and make it a stronger hub of excellence, my suggestion is to make it a University of Education. This concept is totally different to the proposal of the previous Government to form a University of Education amalgamating the National Colleges of Education under the Ministry of Education. I am proposing a University of Education in the lines of Vorarlberg University of Education, Austria which will pave way for academic excellence, innovative cross disciplinary research, and contribute to Policy and Practice for the betterment of society.