We need a different breed of politicians

You might say that it is such an understatement and even a child would endorse it. The word Politician has become such a dirty word in Sri Lanka. When I told my family, relatives, and friends and collogues that I want to enter politics, many asked me why? They wanted to know as to why I am trying to spoil the reputation I have built to carefully and diligently for over 25 years. Some misunderstood my intentions. They felt that it is the next natural step of a businessman to make more money. Some felt that I was closing the door to everything that honest, truthful and virtuous and entering a world that only the strong and uncaring and callous people survive. But my response to all these is that good citizens who uphold all that is good and propagate sound values must enter politics and drive out the thugs from politics. People must be given an option. If few good men do not take the seats in the parliament, the proud and the arrogant and those who disdain law and order will sit at the highest powerbase in our country. And if that happens we have only ourselves to blame. The only way to change something is to get involved

How do we un-politicize Education?

The term may sound strange to you as everything around us has become politicized. Sports, entertainment, health, law and order etc- you name it there is a great deal of political influence. One might say that the best way of improving something is by not having political control over it. So by that reasoning should we do away with the Ministry of Education? Or should we change the very structure of Ministries and Departments?

Is it more necessary to change the political culture of this nation?

Access to higher education

We have a system where we take in students on a proportional basis into our universities. I believe this has been introduced to please the masses. The system dictates that certain number of Doctors, Engineers, and Lawyers will come from a certain region irrespective of their performance at the GCE Advanced Level. So do we restrict better professionals through the present system? Are we producing the correct type and the quality of professionals we should have in this country? Where do we stand in the area of work ethics? Shouldn’t the whole educational system be re-structured so that there is a better match of skills and opportunities? Should there be more opportunities in terms of subjects and mediums? Is a degree programme an end in itself? Shouldn’t the education facilities be catered to the needs of the market and future global trends?