There are tremendous changes happening around the world to prepare the young generation for the modern world. The developed countries have already taken the necessary measures to update their education system because they are financially strong enough to invest a huge amount of money on education. But in Sri Lanka, we are comparatively behind schedule in introducing the latest technology of the education sector.
We are not that much rich enough to introduce the latest technology in our education system. Earlier this year, the Education Ministry launched the Cloud Smart Classroom at the Sri Jayawardenapura Maha Vidyala, Kotte, with the help of the Chief Executive Officer at Codegen Dr Harsha Subasinghe. This is a paradigm shift of education sector to introduce the cutting edge technology in our school system. The government has also allocated Rs.100 billion for education in the Appropriation Bill. All these revolutionary measures have been taken to improve or introduce the innovative technology of the country’s education system.
All these effective measures will not yield proper output owing to drawbacks in the education system. The governments, elected at different times, are used to change the education policy of this country.
Upgrade our education system
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has recently stated: “English medium education was introduced in Sri Lanka before many other countries. However, Sri Lanka could not sustain it. Other countries which introduced English medium education after Sri Lanka had managed to benefit more than Sri Lanka.”
For example, Singapore used to be identified by people as an island of mosquitoes in the late 1970s. But today, the same country has emerged as one of the most beautiful countries in the world owing to the strong and permanent education policy. Thus it is highly advisable for our country to form a strong and permanent education policy which can be followed by the successive governments.
The government spends millions of rupees every year on education to maintain around 10,000 schools with 4.5 million students and more than 200,000 teachers. Of course, we have achieved several milestones in the education. In the meantime, we have to update and upgrade our education system so as to compete with the international community. This is why we need to bring in changes in methodology in the teaching and learning process. The innovative technologies used at present in the classrooms in the world are more effective than the methodologies used in our classrooms.
Hence this is high time for Sri Lanka to introduce and install a smart board in Sri Lankan classrooms. Before introducing any latest technology or innovative system to the schools, it is necessary to upgrade and update the teaching staff in order to absorb the new technology. Then they will be familiar with technology. This is where the Sri Lankans tend to make blunders.
We introduce the technology without preparing our teachers to use that technology. Introducing technology without a proper plan will be an utter failure as it has been proved so in the past in our country. The principal, teachers and the students of the Sri Jayawardenapura Maha Vidyalaya are quite happy about the Smart Classroom. The teachers claim that it is easy to prepare and teach lessons for the students.
The students in the meantime also responded positively. They do not need to carry textbooks since all the lessons have been already saved on the smart board. Teachers added that this has increased the percentage of the student attendance. The class management has become easier as students are more attentive in the smart classroom than the normal classroom with chalk and talk.
Revolutionising teaching methodology
The new technology will bring a lot of benefits for both the teachers as well as the students. The real problem here is they have selected 17 students from Grade 7 English medium classroom. Every official – well including the Prime Minister - has given positive statements that the Smart Classroom is successful.
When choosing students from a metropolitan school, especially in English medium, it is obvious and it will be definitely successful. The students and teachers are from Colombo surroundings and they can handle English and computer comfortably. But how far is it possible to implement this revolutionising classroom teaching methodology in the remote and rural schools across the island? There are many schools functioning in the remote areas without a single English teacher. For instance, there is a national school in Kalpitiya in Puttalam district with only two English teachers for over 2,500 students. The school now badly needs at least six teachers to fulfill their needs. This is the real situation in Sri Lanka.
That said, before introducing the latest and innovative technology into our classrooms it is better to improve our students’ English competence. Then the students will be able to understand the latest technology themselves with the proper guidance of teachers.
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