University Students To Army Boot Camps.
Posted on May 6th, 2011
Sasanka De Silva, Pannipitiya,
The governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s decision to send students who are eligible for university admission in 2011 to Army camps to expose them to leadership techniques, English language and IT training is a flawed decision.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thanks to our old fashion paper-marking systems, first students have to wait for months to get the examination results, followed by a couple of more moths for the re-correction process to end and finally the University admissions results.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The students lose almost a year due to the process and unfortunately not many of them avail this free time for any useful activity.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, if the government is so keen on turning the trend for good use then, putting children through a well coordinated National Service Duty programmed after their Advanced Level Examination is not a bad idea.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ National Service Duty does not mean sending children to boot-camps.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Instead, they can be trained as back up force to function in the services that are called as essential services such as running hospitals, sea and airports, vital power and energy supplies, mass transport etc.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Such an act would protect the country from unwarranted industrial actions organized by unscrupulous trade unionists, whom hitherto held a monopolistic advantage when dealing and bargaining in such issues.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If we are to see an improvement in the English language proficiency among school children, then the present teaching methods adopted to teach them English language too has to be put under the microscope.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If someone can master a complicated language like Sinhala, then learning English would not be that difficult but what is holding many back is needed to be analyzed and come up with solutions to counter them.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Still owning a personal computer is far beyond the common manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s reach and the latest statistics show the penetration of computers in to society is far far below.
And to make the matter worse the availability of electricity and internet connectivity in many parts of the country is dismal.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Unless those issues are addressed correctly, putting students who are eligible for university admission through a rapid ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Catch All If You CanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ sort of training programme for another three more months is nothing but utter waste of time.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We are far behind compared to regional and world educational standards and wasting a few more months on a useless programme takes us nowhere except further back.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is time to shift to FORWARD Gear and not to reverse.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Over to you, the pundits who pretend that they know everything, if you are listening.
May 6th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
I think partial army training is very good for university students. I think that will help many students in various ways. Except for weapon training, other things should be taught.
Even before we see the outcome of any such training how can we predict based on assumptions.
May 6th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Army training builds discipline, self-control and confidence. There’s nothing wrong with undergrads getting an army training.
May 6th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
This is a very good move. At last the government has managed to peacefully (without using thugs) bring unruly uni students into line. Few months at an army camp will do heaps of good to everyone. We will see a remarkable improvement in uni student’s rowdy behaviour, leadership (which is non-existent today) and their sense of right and wrong (which is not there today).
May 6th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Discipline has to be inculcated at homes from very tender age and not at Boot-camps 20 years after.
If one defines discipline as waking up early morning, running a few miles and climbing a rope ladder while a Drill sergeant is breathing down your neck then sending children to boot camps is the best way.
But I do not think that is what we want to achieve.
Look at the recent past robberies, murders, rapes, extortions etc and most of them have been committed by the so-called the disciplined lot who have already been put through Boot-camps before their inductions.
The concept of National Service Duty means to teach children of tomorrow much more useful, marketable and employable skills than climbing rope ladders.
This is a double-edge sword.
It improves our gene-pool as far as the skills levels are concerned and opens another viable option to fall back in a national crisis situation.
To reap the best benefits, timing and contents of such programmes are paramount.
May 7th, 2011 at 1:57 am
Army deserters by definition are not disciplined. Uni graduates cannot be compared to army deserters.
True, discipline begins at home but what if it is not happening? Discipline is attending this session itself! And taking instructions from someone, learning to give instructions, learning in a disciplined environment, etc. Going through this does not in any way hinder the uni course they will study.
Apart from a few anti-social elements, most people don’t have a problem going through this.
May 7th, 2011 at 4:32 am
So it is confirmed basing on your description of the Army deserters that putting people through Boot Camp is no sure way of inculcating discipline.
Getting selected for a place in university education in such a competitive examination is no mean task and had those children not been disciplined, I am sure they would not have achieved it.
Here the issue is the timing and the contents of the programme as stated in my previous submission.
We are already late and wasting more time on not properly coordinated Boot Camp activities serves no purpose to the country or to those children.
And without properly and seriously addressing the things that are needed to be addressed most urgently (like re-examining the teaching methods, availability of infrastructures and services) this Boot Camp venture too will also be like many of our previous such ventures ended in “Pussa Binda” wage.
May 7th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Simply BS.
By this program no uni course will be affected. They will go ahead as before. The English program will also go ahead as before.
The timing cannot be better.
May 8th, 2011 at 11:13 pm
The children who ever selected to the universities are the best of best otherwise they wont be selected to the highest institution in education. Everyone needs to be disciplined in our society and it’s not a bad idea for children to attend boot camps as you all said. Any parents like their children to be honest,well disciplined and to be a strong person with good education so let’s hope this will help to create a disciplined society with added qualifications like English and IT.