Young people cannot always understand pride that age gives some‘has beens!’

There was a case recently when people in a youth group wanted to serenade some of those past leaders in their group from the past who contributed to what this group has become. They chose an occasion and arranged for a plaque to be prepared and informed the older person that they would like to present this to him at their next meeting.

The person who came to the building, looked and saw the numbers who had come that had filled the room to standing room only, and then declined to accept the offer, saying that it should have been done on an occasion when a larger hall in the building was full of people, and therefore in front of a whole series of cameras and more people to witness the occasion.

It is the recipients right to decline the award on any grounds he so chooses, and the youth must understand this. It is a difficult concept for a young person to comprehend an honor being declined, as at that age they would love to be serenaded. However some people get jaded with age, and perhaps feel they are more important than others see them. Often people who have obtained fame and glory at some time of their lives, and then subsequently have with age, and loss off office been relegated to the realms of history and therefore forgetfulness in people’s memories, but still tend to live in the past reflected glory. They have odd quirks and this is one that I put to that odd quirk which the youth must be prepared to accept and forget about without holding a grudge.

It is another matter wholly if the youth group does not wish to give this person the honor again, at a later stage or with the full honors he had wished. That is the choice the person makes with this attitude.

It is a good lesson to learn, to be humble and accept any honor with grace and humility and not with arrogance about earlier fame, no longer in vogue!

One must also remember that whatever plans one makes where others are involved, one is not always able to make it work in the same manner they wish. There are some adjustments that must be made and we hope we can come out with a satisfactory occasion despite the hurdles that we see that the older generation has piled on us. One must keep everything in perspective and always be glad that an event went off without a major hitch. So much goes into planning a small event, and it takes a lot of planning and organization. One must be prepared to accept a successful conclusion with grace humility, and ‘thank God its over!’ attitude.

The parents are a part of the problem

It is incredible that in the Sri Lankan family, children are loved and spoilt and then sacrifices are made to send children to distant prestigious schools, but parents lack the skills to instill moral and life skills on their children. After this expensive education, youth are completely lost not knowing how to find a suitable course for their skill and financial level, as well as a direction in which to study, without any knowledge of what they would like to do once they have achieved this goal.

The parents merely believe that the financial sacrifice is sufficient and that their time in trying to understand the unique set of problems their offspring face, is not forthcoming. It was particularly apparent recently when 3000 students went to the Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka to protest at the unfair treatment meted out from the Z score fiasco, which was orchestrated as part of a Facebook campaign, with hardly a parent in sight to help them. This after an expensive education, whose results were what the dispute was about.

I am constantly faced with advising young people in their twenties about the options available to them, and realize that only if their parents in the formative years of the kids from say 12 to 18 gave them some direction and interest in some area, they could then pursue that particular course of study without coming to their mid 20s and look around for anything available not knowing what is possible and practical. Young people are not practical, as their demands are not congruent with their abilities. When they are offered jobs in keeping with what they can do, they are disappointed and upset that a better alternative is not forthcoming.

The parents owe it to their offspring to understand what is going on in their lives, rather than say the youth of today are different, they cannot understand their desired and then give up. The classic case being the Z score fiasco referred to.

It was important for parents to come for their children’s support. That would have moved the government to action and not delayed for 6 months. The parents by their very inaction gave the Government a breather to take their time over finding a resolution which is still not forthcoming. The students have suffered immensely due to the delay. The parents’ inaction cost their kids’ time money and possibly their future. It is as if they have run the race but stopped a few meters before the finish line and left their children in a state of limbo, without the final small push to put them over the edge. It is important that the students explain to their parents that their inaction has cost them, and that the cost of their education is wasted by this inability to comprehend the z score issue comprehensively to assist their wards.

Congratulations Kumar Sangakkara for being shortlisted for all main awards

ICC AWARDS 2012

Kumar Sangakkara, the wicket-keeper batsman of the Sri Lankan squad is the only person who has been nominated for the main ICC awards 2012 to be announced on 15^th September 2012. The nominations are for ICC Cricketer of the Year, ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year.

This is a singular honor for the Country and for Kumar Sangakkara himself who has excelled himself in all departments as the nominations are from elite professionals who are aware either former players, members of the media, representatives of the ICC panel of umpires and match referees.

This means that in the overall context of Cricket, Test cricket and One Day Cricket Sanga has outshone in all departments of the game from behavior to performance. In the history of Cricket no person has received all these nominations in one go, and in one year, as he has already received nominations in the past on different departments in previous years.

There is a severe absence of compliments from anyone instrumental in Sri Lanka Cricket or in Politics for this achievement and this smacks of a lack of respect for his independence and his outspokenness in the interests of the Cricket.

I know that he does not really want respect from those least qualified to give it to him, but I just wish to point out the irony in this respect as we have pontificators for the interests of cricket, but when we have achievers in this game they do not receive the kudos from the ‘pontificators’

It is important that youth have a role model, with values, that can be shown as ones to be emulated by young people. Sri Lanka is badly in need of sufficient number of such role models. We must encourage them and give them a chance to speak to the youth and get them involved in useful activities that will help their leadership qualities and empower them as future leaders of Sri Lanka.

Z score – a dirty word that doesn’t go away, is the bane of all who confront it

This method was introduced a few years ago to kill two birds with one stone. One was to restrict entry into the University as there are only places for 15% or less of those who sit A level exams. The second was to arrive at a different cut off mark for districts so that there is a fair representation across the country. This simple concept that translated into an incomprehensible statistical figure, determined the fate of many a young man or woman in Sri Lanka, especially as it related to educated youth who wished to get a degree and rise up the greasy pole of employment. The two criteria were acted on by using the ubiquitous cut off mark known as the Z score that determined who got in and who is left out!

What it did mean is that even if one had 3 A’s at A levels, one was not certain of getting into the University of your choice or any at all, if there were thousands ahead of one in the district. This happened this time round to an even greater extent. It must be remembered that 60% of schools only offer 3 subjects at A level, for which there is a reasonable carder of teacher, namely, Sinhala, Buddhist Civilization and Political Science. The problem is that even in the Kegalle District, I know for a fact that if you had 3 A’s in these subjects your District rank could be as high as 1000 meaning that in that subject stream that there are over a thousand with higher marks, and therefore the cut off to university could be up to rank 500. In theory there would be over 500 students who have achieved 3 As at A levels and could not obtain entrance into the University system.

The expectation of students and parents are then shattered as the value assigned to an A in these subjects is diminished and due to the use of standard deviations when a high population achieves high marks, the Z score could be low!

The dilemma is hard to comprehend. So it MUST be made clear to students following such subjects that even A grades are not sufficient to gain entry into University and it depends on how high the mark is for them to come within the space allocation.

It is important that these myths are quickly extinguished, and students led into courses that are needed and for which places are available, and not to ones that are tough to enter due to the supply which exceeds the places as in the case for these Arts and Social Sciences Courses. In my view the subjects referred to above should be drastically cut, as students following them have no chance whatsoever of entering University with them, and parents MUST be informed about it well in advance of disappointments, especially at the point they are chosen.

The challenge facing Youth – clueless about how to land a job

The incessant stream of CV from young people ranging from 18 to 28 for jobs ANY JOBS is a heart wrenching cry for independence by desperate youth who want a living wage. Fortunately for them, they live at home and have no great rush to get into the job market, so they are picky and want jobs that are not out there.

Little do they realize that the most important point in employment is the record of consistent work at one place however low the wages are and however tough the conditions. You cannot buy your way into a record of work. You have work it, earn it , and live it. Our young people just do not understand that. So when jobs are offered, they are refused, as that is not the type of job they were hoping to get!

On the one hand they are pleading with me for a job, any job, and on the other hand when I place them somewhere in an area where there is great potential, they say it is not up their street. It is this dilemma that I have to deal with, and I am frustrated because when I direct youth into areas where there is potential for the quick rewards they are looking for, they do not wish to pursue, as it involves a little effort! I had a person come into the office this week saying that they are looking for youth with a good personality to train as insurance salesman, who will be selling the pension product of a particular insurance company, and depending on the success of getting people to buy into the policies, could in 3 months be earning close of Rs50,000 a month. Even an A level is not necessary.

I contacted numerous on my database of youth looking for jobs, and even without going through their free, one day leadership seminar, to learn about the products and about themselves, they declined, saying it is not up their street. The latter thought is suspect as I know they do not really know what the job entails, and at least they should try and find out by attending the events laid on for prospective recruits. Word of mouth of hearsay is simply not sufficient for them to make up their minds that those jobs are not good. While I am willing to admit that it will attract a certain dedicated individual with congruent life goals, it is nevertheless important to attend the seminars to determine one’s aptitude for such jobs.

I appeal to young people not to have preconceived notions of what employment is and to simply take anything they can get their hands on and with the experience one gains in any employment the maturity that one gets will enable one to know exactly what one wants and then take the necessary steps to achieve those goals. Without the initial work experience to gain the practice of getting to work on time, and showing consistent timely attendance it is impossible to show one can hold on to a job and perform, despite the obstacles most jobs place on one.

Are you fickle? They don’t even know what it means as it is considered normal!

In contemporary Sri Lanka, the word of a young person is as good as hot air, only around for a few seconds. They are the most unreliable segment of the population and in organizing youth activities one has to be cognizant of this fact if one is to keep sane. There is a way to tackle this situation, as it has to be of use to the person concerned. There is just no point in getting them to do any favors for anyone, unlike in the past where they performed out of duty or obligation. Today there is no duty or obligation. Those words just do not matter in a world of greed and opportunism, and the Youth have mastered this faster than any other segment of the population. Is it any wonder why older people today just frown upon the young as having no ethics, morals or a sense of duty? To young people of today anyone older than themselves is just a fuddy duddy not worth their time, unless of course they can get some personal and not communal benefit out of them.

In a sense one has to take the law of probabilities a little more seriously in one’s dealing them, especially male, as females are still a little more dependable and reliable and are also more responsible when tasks are assigned to them.

When young people are fickle there is a method to exploit this behavior by informing them that they missed out on a glorious stroke of good fortune as they were not able to take advantage, by their absence. There is nothing more penetrating to a psyche than being told that your unreliability cost you big.

In my experience I know when I invite 100 youth to an event, the number who actually say they will come and turn up is under 50%. One therefore has to take that into account when doing this type of invitation. When there is nothing but an obligation with little perceived benefit to them, then the take up rate is less than 25%. When one takes account of these factors and operate under that, it is easier to organize events and make guesstimations.

This when added to the Sri Lankan inability to say no to one’s face, the presence of the probability factor plays a huge part in the expected turnout. The threat of eviction from a program and one’s rights being suspended are other means by which one gets a better rate of attendance especially at events that are important, and the participation of the particular young person is too. The showing of one’s face to say they turned up is one of the most annoying characteristics of youth as they do it for no other purpose, but not to lose out on any benefit allocated to the presence. The handing out of certificates of participation at the end is a suggestion to this thorny and sensitive issue, as expectations are nevertheless high.

Where are the Parents? – Part 2 – Displaying total ignorance!

In an earlier blog entry, I was castigating the parents for not coming to many open fora, and demonstrations that have taken place in defense of the students who have suffered as a result of the Z score crisis, that has yet to be resolved, when the Government is particularly mired in a swamp of its own making, due mostly to the ignorance of their leadership of what it all means, and how it must be resolved.

In my view parents who spend a small fortune to educate their children in the state sector despite the supposedly free education system (here I do not wish to encompass the sacrifice of parents who send their children to the international sector) seem to have dropped out of the picture as in the needed pressure on the government to address the plight of the kids, who find themselves thoroughly confused when their Z scores and district rankings, which have taken a huge turn for the worse between the results published on 25^th December 2011 and the revised ones published for the same exam on June 25^th 2012!!

Where are the parents? I ask this time and again. They must follow through on their investment, otherwise their sacrifice is completely in vain. They must be at the forefront of demonstration outside Temple Trees, as otherwise there will be no action on the part of the President. Let us remember in Sri Lanka that all corrective action only originates from the President’s office as all the Ministers in Government are mere puppets with no teeth to take any action, unless sanctioned by the ruler himself.

The parents owe it to themselves to take the bull by the horns, form a team and be visible; hold a vigil outside of Temple Trees. Kids who agitate are generally taken for a hike, as they are all misinterpreted as JVP pawns. Their demonstration does not help anyone. So if the MOMS AND DADS come out to demonstrate it will definitely be far more effective. It is in their self interests as their sons and daughters are bound to tell them once they bring out the cost of education to their charges, that they were not there for them “when it truly mattered.”

I know that parents are completely ignorant about Z scores just like most of us in Sri Lanka. That by the way is NO excuse not to do anything about it. You giving up on your biggest investment in your life without a whimper and you are permitting the state to ride roughshod over you like a roller to flatten you and take every breath out of you, in this complacent and uncaring way. Rise up before it is too late and stand up for injustice, as that is what it truly is, before your very inaction is taken by the state for tacit approval of their policies and actions.

Z score has taken an unimaginable mental toll on August 2011 and August 2012, ‘A’ level students and their parents and families

That is at least 500,000 students and at least 1 million parents. It is not a simple issue. All these people and future A level students will have concerns about the reliability, credibility and dependability of this method of apportioning a number, which will be used in District cut offs for entry into University in the State System in Sri Lanka. Due to this loss of faith, there appears to be no other option but to the scrap system completely and come up with a different and hopefully more sensible and understandable basis of University Entry. There is just NO other choice.

To add to these woes, the A level exams currently being conducted Islandwide have brought into focus, how fraught with errors they are and further erodes the faith the people have in the Sri Lanka A levels. Add to that the time from O levels to University entrance is now 4 years at least, whereas through the international system with the British GCSE and A levels it is only 2 which means that with international 3 year degrees, International school based kids can graduate at least 3 years ahead of Sri Lankan School’s University kids. So paying Rs 2 to 3 Million to get a head start of 3 years in life seems a cheap price to pay if you got the dough. You can then get 3 years overseas experience and recoup the costs by the time the Sri Lankan student graduates to find that there are no jobs available to him, except the Rs10,000 month stipend the Rajapakse Govt. is cheating graduates with to go to the District Secretariat offices to sign on once a week, as even these offices do not have a place for these so called temporary hired to sit.

This all begs the question of our shortchanging and in short fooling our students in the state education system dashing all their hopes and aspirations because we have not been able to organize a simple set of rules to ensure that youth have expectations that can be fulfilled.

It is important that there is immediate action taken to correct the situation before it gets worse. The breakdown of the state education system, is tantamount to the govt. abrogating its basic responsibilities towards the youth of Sri Lanka. The fact that the citizens of Sri Lanka fail to understand what is happening under their very noses is indicative of the ignorance of our people about what it important. On the one hand the parents sacrifice everything to give their children a good education, but they fail to realize that all that sacrifice is in vain, as the products of the state educations system fail miserably in their ability to gain employment and waste an inordinate amount of time of their youth in farting around, and not being productive, without them, the students, realizing this very essence.

Hopeless in Sri Lanka

I was reading an article about the overwhelming desire, if given half a chance, of youth in Sri Lanka to emigrate, preferably never to return! from the shores of this country. It is a damning indictment of the way the people in power over our history have managed expectations. Basically ZILCH!!(not managed but destroyed it!)

Is there any hope left? If everyone who wishes to leave is able to leave we will be a country of geriatrics, withering away with nothing to look forward to. We have not built a sense of patriotism and love for the country. All the talk in the media about patriotism therefore is just for personal glory and not based on any real feeling. In short baloney.

If predictions are true, and current population trends are followed it is likely that in about 50 years the population of this country will be about half of what it is today. If conditions overseas permit Sri Lankans to live overseas, then they will not return, that is those who currently only go for a few years to earn those extra bucks to buy life’s goodies which a local paycheck does not permit them.

It is said that many Sri Lankans who go overseas engage in jobs they would never be seen dead doing here. They go out of necessity and because those jobs still pay better than here. So the education they received to be a garbage cleaner in a foreign land is also wasted. What we need is a national debate first, where we are able to discuss the alternatives available both here and overseas and determine how we can fulfill the expectations of youth here in a practical sense. It is not that there are no opportunities, but we need to know what opportunities there are and try and direct youth to them, rather than them getting an education in areas there are just NO opportunities for them.

It is interesting to note that the opportunities that are absent here are present in other countries. So a young person goes and works as a cleaner, and then sees opportunities open to him, so he goes to night school and gets a diploma or degree, which he then leverages up to a better job, and so on goes up by his own effort, not subsidized by a family or government. His sense of achievement then is even greater and his sense of desire to achieve is also that much greater. If only we in Sri Lanka were able to show him that road ahead, however tough or hard, it is nevertheless achievable.

It is this latter challenge that must be started at an earlier age, before the young person suddenly finds himself unemployable. We see so many people who want a job, but have no clear concept of work. They do not know what it entails, or what they want. They require some early grasp of what it is to work, about discipline and what employers expect from their workforce. No wonder on the one hand employers are desperately searching for suitably qualified people, and on the other there are so many unemployable young intelligent people, if only they were able to fill those vacancies.

It is the duty of our society in Sri Lanka today to identify this issue, and find practical solutions to it as part of a revised Education Policy framework, that puts the welfare of the young person first, and provides him or her with tools to succeed

Where are the parents? – when it comes to bat for their kids? – Z score

I was at a discussion at the Official Residence of the Mayor of Colombo, yesterday, 1^st of August 2012. The notification was in the Newspapers for anyone who wished to discuss their grievances regarding the Z score results to meet with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe and to inform him of what it is they wished to do about. It was a reasonable request to make, so that the Opposition as a whole can request in Parliament, for a solution based on the requests made by the public who have been affected by this hiatus. There is nothing more important in a society, where anyone with a grievance has an ear to a politician who is able to represent them in a forum that can actually provide relief or offer a solution.

The Government has clearly got itself into a huge muddle over this Z score. The President is floundering, daily requesting for reports on the matter. Even MP Namal Rajapakse is making off the cuff unconsidered statements, that no one will be inconvenienced as a result of getting a lower mark, without SPECIFICALLY saying what they will do about it. The Human Rights Commission has got 1650 complaints, but even they do not know what to do about it, and how to handle the problem, except for appealing to the government to do something about it.

So when a discussion with the full glare of the media was announced, I expected parents with their sons and daughters in tow to come to the Mayor’s residence to express their views and desires on behalf of them. I only saw one DAD with a daughter who came in a motorcycle on this traffic free Poya Day to attend this event. All this benefits the government because when people affected by this do not express their grievances, out of fear of repression or otherwise, it makes for a poor democracy. It is also a fact of life, that parents and kids are frightened to openly express their dissatisfaction, lest the Govt. picks on them and ensures that they are punished for speaking out. That is sadly the state of the nation today.

The reality is that ‘A’ level results in general and the Z score in particular have lost credibility. Due to this the whole free education system in Sri Lanka has taken a beating, where any parent who has the means will try and get their children into private or international schools, for them to sit foreign exams that are held in higher regard!

The Leader of the Opposition was questioning the use of the Z score as a means of determining University entry, and suggested that there might be more equitable means of entry. There is simply the law of supply and demand in this crush for higher education, and how does one fairly manage that? Don’t PARENTS CARE?

Complaints to Human Rights Commission re the Z score – reach 1675 so far

The latest twist in the tale of the Z score calamity is that a large number of students who personally believe that their rights have been violated have filed complaints with the HRC, hoping the latter would intercede on their behalf for them to obtain justice.

Put simply, the calculation of the Z score is only understood by a few experts in statistics, whose baby it was. I was created to find a means to restrict entry into the University, only for the places available. The cut off mark for each Type of Degree, University and Faculty was simply done by way of the Z score one received in the District where one sat the exam, to match places with entrants.

Once it was proved that the previous calculation was flawed, a new calculation was done, and that resulted in some students getting a higher Z score and others a lower one. Of course those with the lower scores are the ones who feel their fundamental rights to enter the University System in Sri Lanka has been violated. They are therefore doing everything in their power to ensure that they do not miss out on the coveted University place, and are therefore demanding justice in light of their initial belief that they also entered University, and now the dream is shattered!

The opposition has demanded that these rights be granted, but in reality that may result in 4,000 additional students being admitted to University at the next intake. A further complication arises over which University and faculty they should be admitted to. Medicine, considered within the Bio Sciences Faculty; would they have entered Medical College under the previous score, and should they therefore be allowed to get into medical school despite the current score showing they cannot enter? These are real issues to be resolved, which have no resolution to date

On a broader matter, A level results determine the direction a Sri Lankan student’s future. Many mistakenly believe the better the score, the better their life chances are, when in fact one’s opportunities and direction is determined by a whole series of facts, with Z score being just one. It is important to keep this balance in mind and not allow one’s whole mental well being to be destroyed due to a result. It is easier to say, but there have been a few attempted suicides of students who have received a lower score, and who have suddenly seen their belief in a particular field of study being shattered. It is important that when the authorities play with the lives of students they do not shatter their belief in the Free Education system of Sri Lanka, which appears to have happened lately. We must take measures to restore confidence in the Examination system, by a sea change!! What is the that change?

Hey young guys, it is time replace talker bees with worker bees

Young guys in Sri Lanka like to join organizations where they get all the credit for the glitter and the face time. I am not including girls here, only because they are the exception and they do not come under this generalization. The young females are generally more responsible and conscientious and there are fewer bull shit artists amongst the females.

In my experience, there is a great need for recognition by way of title. They want to be the ‘sabapathi or lekam’ however when it comes to doing the work in the organization, they would prefer not to do it themselves, but delegate it to someone else. For an organization to work satisfactorily it must have as many worker bees as possible. They are the ones who move mountains and make things happen. Many do not get any recognition, as they are in the background, generally not seeking credit for their work, just hoping someone will recognize their talents and attributes.

Getting back to the talker bees; In an organization, often the talker bees get the appointments to the board and with it the title because when it comes to elections, they put their name forward, are good at canvassing support, sometimes have a network of people they have been able to fool, who think they can actually do some work, and therefore vote them into these titles. It is those very people, who obstruct the proper functioning of the organization who seek to demote those who put the effort, when the titled DO NOT get the credit for that work that takes place.

A good organization will have a power struggle with the talkers, and finally triumph over the talkers if it is to get ahead and get things done. There is resistance to change. The talker bees do not want extra activity and work, as their incompetence will be in the open for all to see, when measured against those who do the work. A good administrator will be able to impose strict discipline and be able to remove the talkers to mere ceremonial roles. Often they are unable to carry out the simplest of tasks, as they can talk about being able to do it, but when given the task fail dismally in carrying it out. The administrators must have their plan B knowing they will be let down by the talkers.

It is a gentle reminder then for young people to understand that in the end it is work work work that gets rewarded with results. There are NO shortcuts to results. The success of any organization rests with them. It is important for youth to realize that talkers are just that; Incompetent in every respect, daring to question the work of the workers without even constructive suggestions. Long live the workers.

Youth must make a stand – Why not Rebel! when schools are closed in Hambantota to watch the cricket match?

Today is Tuesday, the 24^th of July, 2012 and Sri Lanka recorded a historic victory over India in a Cricket, one day international held at the Hambantota Suriyawewa Stadium. Sadly there were hardly spectators, and we have more elephants in the wild in Sri Lanka than the number of Spectators at today’s game.

More to the point, the number of school children at the game are included in the total I mentioned above, so without them there would hardly have been anyone at the match. The fact that school children are given tickets or taken for the match on a school day is not cricket. We then give them the impression that a Cricket match is more worthwhile than attending school. That is a bad example to set for our youngsters.

To struggle to fill a stadium in the remote wilds built by displacing elephants is a crime. We have not even built a special stand for the elephants to come and watch the match after seizing their land. That too is not cricket! It is to fill the stadium that schools were given a holiday and encouraged to send their kids to the match. Remember most schools in the provinces are coeducational and so boys and girls in equal mix in their school uniforms were watching the match at night. It was a relief that the match was over before 7.30pm as the total number of overs bowled in the match barely exceeded 50. What if the match went the full course? The kids would have to go home at midnight and school the next day!

The authorities seem not to care about this issue and it is another aspect of political interference in people’s lives. It is sad that there is no concerned person in civil society to bring a case against the Govt. on behalf of the Students, akin to a FR petition for this action. I guess that is the level to which our systems have crumbled that no one even notices this point. I bet there will not be any mention of the facts above in any of the daily newspapers tomorrow.

We are a TV addicted country that hopes to recover the costs of the match out of TV rights, so it does not matter if the stadium is empty. In building a stadium in a desolate place such as that even if ALL tickets were free, they will not be able to fill the stadium with locals who live at a 10km radius from home, as they will not have the means to get home in the night, without fear of wild elephants!

What kind of country do we live in when we cannot do this and we put the lives of kids at risk. This is a blog for youth. It is time some of them took a stand.

Inter University Students Federation –what is the secret of their stranglehold?

It is time we understood how the IUSF appears on the surface to act as the conscience of the undergraduates of the State Universities, as they seem to dominate the Student Unions that represent the interests of the Students. Whilst they clearly are the JVP, the students vehemently deny that accusation and state they are not beholden to anyone and they carry out their own policies as it pertains to students.

They appear to tag on to popular themes, but when they are closely analyzed do not make sense, except that they are able to con their members into believing that it is an assault on University Education. One must remember that the IUSF is against all sorts of Private Universities and Private Tertiary Colleges. These are wholly impractical ideas that have seen their day the world over and they should concentrate on improving the quality of education in the Universities. It is the quality that will improve the chances of graduates from getting a job, not the fact that everyone who qualifies gets into university.

It is important to realize that even in places like the UK, the state universities now levy hefty fees and therefore are unable to offer free education. It is a similar issue in the Sri Lankan context as the funds just does not exist to give the University Teachers and Students a decent allowance as required by both, the first an adequate pay for the Faculty and secondly the reduction in the value of the Mahapola schools stipend as it has remained unchanged in 30 years since inception.

So what are students to do? First they need to be educated enough to balance the rights and wrongs of these people. Do they get this education at their universities now? The answer is a firm NO.

There is an assumed leveling off in the rag and that initiation is supposed to build bonds of loyalty to the IUSF. However that is not tenable due to the immediate need to get students to think and take control over their lives. In practice the students get more isolated following a bankrupt philosophy and end up on the shelf in more ways than one unable to get a job, or once they get the job quit without a moments notice.

It is very important that a truly encompassing and inclusive alternative is available to the IUSF, and they are able to explain why they make such claims. It is purely logic and reasoning that needs to be explained to the students and no one till now has been able to hit the right cord with naturally suspicious students.

Ironically it is education that will get the youth to reason correctly rather than take guidance from clearly  very biased people with an agenda that is not practical.

Where are the girls? The guys are too creepy so there is a cat hells chance of them being part of your team

When we refer to youth organizations, fronts, or even the Government’s Youth Services Corps, created by Ranil Wickremasinghe, when he was the Minister of Youth Affairs, the overwhelming bulk of participants, members and delegates are men. Actually for those age groups, as it is for all other age groups, there are more females than males. In that sense we must first look at why young women do not participate? Then look at ways we can increase their participation.

Firstly, our culture protects our young girls from being exposed too much to the outside world, and once they come home from school they are generally expected to help around the house and you do not see them on the roads playing cricket like the boys do. Of course with the tuition classes one sees a change in the traditional set up, and girls are sent on the bus on their own to the main towns especially at weekends to attend lectures for whatever exams they intend taking.

It goes without saying that they are more conscientious and accordingly have better grades at the exams. However the parents bemoan the fact that their girls get distracted by the boys in the classes and they have little ability to control who they meet and talk to. This change of practice is a huge fear that parents have as there are numerous stories of girls running away after making these tuition class liaisons.

In this climate, girls feel a little safe at tuition classes as the majority attending are girls. However in youth clubs, and youth gatherings and youth organizations the majority are boys, and the girls feel intimidated by them. There are the persistent guys who never stop when asked to desist by the girl! This is not only a fear, but with the increasing evidence of the incidence of rape, the girls are more concerned about their safety and are less likely to attend.

It is with this in mind, that the only solution is for them to gather in numbers for their own security and come to these events with friends so at least 3 or 4 come together and this gives them the strength to tackle any intimidating situation as they have the support of a few friends to tell anyone trying it on, to back off!!

It is important for women to participate in these organizations, especially political ones. In the latter, where women form the majority of voters, it is important that they also form a substantial, at least 25% representation in seeking political office. We must seriously devise a plan to obtain female participation in the political fabric of Sri Lanka, to improve commitment, governance and accountability.

We should even implement a training program for guys in how to treat women, something our men sorely lack. Similarly we should also have empowerment classes for women to be confident and not be intimidated by men. I cannot highlight the importance of women's participation in leadership development programs, as they have just as much right to participate in all areas of leadership in still a traditionally male dominated hierarchical society.

Young man stop looking for faults – be constructive - A call to 'ARMS'

I was recently heavily involved in organizing a youth event. Trying to engage the youth in organizing this event was a mammoth task in itself. Whilst they all see the potential benefit of such an event, they are unwilling to take responsibility for taking charge and doing the necessary work to make the event a success, instead nitpicking faults. There is a huge gulf between an OK event and a successful event.

Our goal, when we organize something is for it to be a success in every sense of the word. If we failed in one or two of the expectations that’s OK but not for want of trying. It is important to put one’s best efforts into the planning and execution of the said event.

One issue I have found, that needs to be stressed, is that young people are very enthusiastic, but they are often not practical as they are more interested in achieving the objective, but have no idea of how much it takes to achieve it. This is usually due to the lack of practice in organizing such events. Unlike with older people who can listen to boring speeches for ages, young people are more likely to be bored if their attention is not constantly drawn and will even get up and leave with no regard to the speaker. We must be aware of that when we determine who should speak and for how long. I personally believe that no one should make a speech for more than 15 minutes as after that attention is drawn to other matters.

Getting back to the organization of the event, it is important to plan for every possible eventuality as Murphy’s Law works here as well and so one must be prepared and not get too flustered when things do not go according to the original plan. In our event, scheduled speakers did not turn up, so we had to make quick contingency plans due to it. During the course of the event we had to make hurried changes to the order of the speeches, to accommodate the busy schedules of the invitees, who neither come on schedule. Nor can we plan on how long they will speak for.

Whilst the event was judged by many as a success, under my standards of judging I would rate it OK. It is a good beginning, we must learn from it. We must have a post mortem, to prevent certain things happening in the future. It is important for young people to learn what a high standard means, as they may never have been exposed to an event of a greater quality and hence make that observation!

Let’s work hard without delay, to raise the bar, raise the quality of our young people to a standard where they are confident and able to do most things in life.

Youth Expectations and how they swing wildly from day to day

In the Sri Lankan context, there is a huge gap between what is practically achievable and what is desired. I do not know if it is the foreign factor, where whenever a member of the family is overseas, then riches of material things are seen around the house and it breeds a great desire amongst neighbors for the same.

In my experience we do not have the desire to work hard enough to achieve those material possessions and I am afraid young people seek to achieve this in a short time by any means fair or foul. It is therefore not practical to try and suppress materialism, but to direct the desire, and urge in the right direction.

What might that direction be? Simply that of giving our youth the skills to understand that they can get what they want, by getting certain skills which will enable them to obtain employment or build a business from which they can make sufficient to achieve them. The problem as I see it is they do not see the skill that will enable them to do so. That is what society should show. It is the duty of the Govt. to identify the needed skills in our country today, and guide our policy planners to provide the educational establishments where those skills are gained, honed and developed. That kind of clear thinking is lacking.

As the foresight is not present, frustration amongst youth builds to a degree that mood swings and wild swings are the result. The young people latch on to anything or any idea and then try to imagine they can make money from it. Instead they must be shown a clear path to a promising future with a clear and rational process of how to get there.

While fulfilling the expectation gap is important, it is the gulf between what is expected and what is really possible that needs to bridged by closing the gap and not by building a mythical bridge that cannot be crossed. Realism should be the aim, so that they understand what is possible and why and as time and patience is not a trait with young people, it is more important to set short term goals and show a clear path as to how they can be achieved.

It is insane to see unproductive youth with goals which are as unproductive to society; Goals that are simply to get as much while doing as little as possible. It is a trait of lotus eaters that has to change if we are to progress to our full potential. Greed is what drives most people to achieve what they want. So to direct that greed to the right combination of realism and effort to achieve is what we must concentrate on.

Sri Lankan Politics – learn how older people prevent your rise! – overcome it

An active charismatic young person who appears to gain goodwill and votes, is an older politicians nightmare. Many old politicians are living on their years of goodwill, which they try to carry with them to their graves. This kind of selfish activity prevents young people from getting into politics.

The examples are for all to see at the recent scramble for nominations by young people in both the main parties challenging the latest series of provincial council elections, namely the older seasoned politicians who only want to include names of little known people who are NOT a threat to their re election prospects. Any good definite vote getter will be muzzled, mainly by his organizer in his electorate and then by all those seeking re-election in the same ticket, for the Provincial Councils.

It is best to know the reality, and play a seasoned game to avoid being excluded from seeking election, and once nominations are received, from belittling the little un on the campaign trail as someone who needs a lot of work before he or she can hope to get elected.

Young people must face this inevitable challenge, with their charm as youth, they may be able to overcome the traps and obstacles laid in front of them. Remember, as one who had to undergo this in the past, will you allow the practice to continue?

The kepili ketili viyaparaya engaged in by some, can be overcome, and a promising young person can use this prevention to gain sympathy and votes, and sometimes even oust the person who has tried to prevent him out of office. It is sweet revenge when they can achieve this feat and there are examples of many who have had to face this and were able to reach high political office despite the visible and invisible barriers laid before them.

It is important the young people are fully aware of what they face and how they are able to stealthily overcome some of the challenges. The proportional representation system which has spurred the fight for preferences is at the root cause but which is not likely to change soon, as it is not in the interests of the government in power. They believe the current system in the long term will back them and are disinclined to change the bases of calculation.

A politically astute young person will know how to face this challenge and win without falling out with their party’s hierarchy, as that determines his future.

Young Woman – you are so lucky and you don’t even know it!

Sri Lanka will shortly increase the percentage of places reserved for women nominees from political parties, for election to the local bodies of the Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils. That is a splendid move and a chance for young people, included in the percentage is youth seeking election under 35 as a separate category which is also established with a specific minimum number of candidates.

You must have read in the papers these past days, what a scramble there was for nominations, especially through the main political parties. There were many disappointed people who did not get nomination.

So young lady you come to me. If you are 21 and you honestly think you can make a difference to the political scene and can wear a thick skin to jeers and criticism, especially from your own party. I will guarantee you nomination! How about that to boost your ego, morale and prospects of election?

I agree getting nomination is the first step, and getting elected is the real test. So what are your chances of being elected?  I am only generalizing here. It is pretty high and you do not have to spend a fortune either. There is a general inbuilt bias towards a young lady asking the public to vote for her. They look at her as being untainted by corruption, and least likely to be corrupt.

Whilst I agree that women participation in political office in Sri Lanka is miserably low. The women in politics are usually those who have come through a family background where the father or husband were local pols and using their goodwill to get elected. However I believe that the time is ripe for women to get into politics from simple backgrounds, but with a clear vision on what they can do to correct the current corrupt practices in all walks of life, and especially in the Sri Lankan govt. set up. It is our duty to highlight this fact and inspire women to seek public or elected office. They will definitely carry with them the goodwill of the electorate and first time candidates will automatically get a kick from the lack of a track record of corruption, which most of the candidates seeking reelection have.

It is time for all young women, even one voting for the first time at 18 to think of getting into elected office. You can even say that there is no one in the country representing the females in your age group and it is high time somebody stood up to being kicked around like a football. Insist on your rights on behalf of the youth of today, especially young women who woefully lack representation. Remember I told you so, as it is a closely guarded secret, they do not want you to know about. 

Youth must stick together, don’t start selfish ways at an early age. Achieve on merit not by preventing competition

I have noticed that Sri Lanka youth behave with a sense of entitlement that borders on the ‘not in my back yard syndrome’. For example the Medical Students of the Colombo University are the most vocal against the establishment of the Malabe Medical School. Now why is that? Do they fear competition? Is that the real reason because people who have money, but did not get the Z score from Colombo necessary to get into the Sri Lanka State University System have been enrolled.

After all many of the Medical Faculty lecturers moonlight at Malabe and a high proportion of students are offspring of doctors practicing in Sri Lanka and who have passed through the SL State Medical Schools. So it will be that many of the children of the students demonstrating against the Malabe School, will also enter Malabe as they did not get the grades to get into the SL State Medical Faculties.

So what is all this about? It is simply when you are on one side, the Free system, you do not want competition. Don’t forget they will also have to do the same exams foreign qualified doctors will have to sit, before they are able to practice in the SL medical field, anywhere, private or public. The beef is that it is a private for profit, BOI School. After all it was established by Dr Neville Fernando, who sold the Central Hospital on Horton Place to Softlogic Holdings for Billions.

The BOI concession is so that the equipment can be imported duty free. It is possible it may never make a profit to shareholders and like all not for profit hospitals everywhere, the surplus will be reinvested in the Medical School and the Hospital he is building to be attached to the school, which will have over 1,000 beds, and have facilities better than what the demonstrating students are fighting to close down. There are even some crazy MPs calling for it to be nationalized.

Whose property do they think it is? When a person uses his personal wealth and builds a University, or Medical School and conforms to the standards acceptable around the world, what right do others have to complain. After all hitherto, hundreds of students have gone to foreign universities, when they have not been able to get into the SL system, and qualified there and returned to Sri Lanka after sending billions of rupees out of Sri Lanka for their education. It is better if that money is spent in Sri Lanka and every extra state of the art hospital built here must add to the wealth and the health care options of the citizens of Sri Lanka.

The campaign to get a million signatures to order the closure of Malabe does not sound fair at all, as the opposition is from vested interests and not the public.

I use this example because it clearly demonstrates how selfish young people’s minds are when it comes to sharing opportunities. Another case in point comes from the Graduates in Physiotherapy. They want the School of Physiotherapy that has been established since 1957 and which offers a 2 year HND diploma course, to be closed down and be replaced by them into the Health Service commanding income in excess of double of that of the diploma holders.

OK the Diploma syllabus is outdated. So they must update it to the 21^st Century. As it is a diploma course, the entry requirements are less stringent, and the population drawn to follow those courses are less qualified. However they can turn out to be a much better physiotherapist than the degree holder who may have the knowledge in science that the diploma holder does, but the latter may actually fulfill the patients needs better, due to his skill. Physiotherapists fail to realize that in addition to the knowledge of the body, the art of providing physiotherapy is a huge skill, which the diploma holder may be better at.

In the end in the private sector no matter if the person has a qualification or not, his prestige is what gets carried by word of mouth and get him work. I was looking for a physiotherapist and had to check them all out and find someone suitable to fulfill my needs and that may not necessarily be a graduate. With graduates expecting to charge a higher fee, I have to think of my finances also. So I may opt for the lower priced one, as that is all I can afford. I must have the flexibility of choosing one to fit my pocket too!!

These examples clearly show that we do not want others in the same population to get ahead as we perceive we have a stake and want fewer entrants, that may devalue our position. I recommend young people not to prevent others from getting ahead, in their pursuit to improve their quality of life. There has to be space for everyone and the only way one can assure oneself of a gain, is you can be better than your competitors. That is acceptable when prevention is NOT.

The JVP is ideologically against Private Education and is thus pursuing a bankrupt theory that is not practical. I am advocating a meritocracy, where the market determines by practical ability and not by qualifications alone, reinforced by word of mouth in pursuing ones dreams. Do not prevent others from pursuing theirs. You just have to be the best, and not prevent someone else from getting there. Only then will you truly value yourself and your achievements without trampling others, and have nothing to fear as your pursuit of perfection is not at the expense of others. You will then achieve your personal goals and can be proud of your achievements, that have been earned fair and square and not by default.

In an unresolved dispute, don’t shout if older generation imposes their views

In all spheres, compromise is often the way to resolve differences. This holds true in marriage and business and other personal activities one engages in with other people. There can be disputes amongst neighbors over trees overhanging a property or of roots coming into the adjoining property cracking the foundation.

All these events have to be resolved amicably if we are to get along with people we may not necessarily like. It is very rare that we can get our way all the time. The ultimate test is in a marriage where a huge amount of tolerance, understanding and compromise is required between two parties for it to be successful.

It is a fact that young people often wish to impose their will, and when they do not get their own way start physically abusing or verbally scolding others. This is especially common in Sri Lanka. The young person does not realize that this behavior is actually counterproductive. It is best to calm down bite your tongue literally and go about your business and then you may see sense. So patience here is a virtue and patience is something learned from practice rather than something others can teach. It is important therefore that young people get sufficient practice in interacting with others, so they mature early to handle rough situations and instances where their anger is easily aroused. That is where sport is a great leveler and enabler of compromise, tactics and thinking.

Due to intransigence of youth, they somehow create a fight and then do not resolve the differences. It is left for an older person to settle the dispute. I believe it is time that the young person knows to resolve his own problems and not wait for an older person to come and impose solutions, because the youth have not been able to resolve them. It creates dissatisfaction, and in order to avoid matters coming to a head, it is always advisable for youth to know how to sort out their own affairs amicably or at least peaceably at the start.

In the Sri Lankan context, this dispute resolution by fighting, which then ends up being a brawl, and often in death is a habit that has to stop at some point. Often both parties in the brawl are incarcerated in the same jail cell by the local police, where they have to get on, and if not, will suffer further indignities in front of other remand prisoners, which is a face saving ploy for them to hold their fire!

Distrust often without any rational reason but possibly by gossip, which bears no basis in fact is at the heart of much of the fights of young people to achieve their objectives. It is best to try and resolve them by face to face calm resolutions, a tall order, but a worthwhile first effort in resolving disputes.

Youth do not realize they are the future until it is too late!

The perennial problem with youth today is that on the one hand they are impatient, but on the other they do not realize that it is them who are the future of the country and they must have a vision for the future if they are intent on taking ownership of it. They must not think that their rights will just fall onto their laps when they come of age. It just does not happen that way.

It is important that there is some method to inform them of how they can affect their future through activism now. They may feel that the world is run by older people and that they do not have power. However remember in most democracies the new voters are significant in number and they can actually make a difference to the result if they vote enmasse for a particular party. They can even change governments and administrations. It is therefore important that they know this, as often they cannot appreciate the power of their strength in numbers.

In the age when young people graduate from children, being dependent on parents to adults being responsible for themselves, first and their future later, it is best to galvanize their thought process and their focus to what is important to them. Then they can with commitment and numbers embark on a political process by joining a movement or political party, to achieve their objectives first as it pertains to youth, and later as it pertains to them and their families.

If one studies history and the biographies of statesmen, it is often an indication that they have shown their vision of the future in their early writings or campaigns, be it for student political office and other youth related project, be it in Environmental protection or education benefits that affect them now and in their future.

In order to instill in young people the responsibility they carry for their future, and that it will be of no use to blame the earlier generations for their predicament, there has to be a carefully tested method using real life examples of what is practical and doable. If as the heading implies, that ‘if they do not come clean now, it will be too late for them to make a difference’, it implies that there must be a long term plan beginning now for them to achieve their goals in life.

As part of leadership and empowerment, we would like them first to have a vision of the future. Then they can take that vision and try to make it happen in a practical way, that may include getting involved in politics, especially in Sri Lanka as it affects people’s livelihood, more than in most other countries. Change takes place in Sri Lanka with a lot of political backing or interference depending on your outlook, but it is political nevertheless, that can make a difference.

A Brilliant Pupil’s logical suicide – What do you make of this?

Taken from a very popularly read article in the Independent newspaper in the UK of 3^rd December 1998, which I believe is appropriate for young people to read in 2012. It does not try to judge, just report.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/brilliant-pupils-logical-suicide-1188778.html

A BRILLIANT schoolboy shot himself in the head after carefully calculating the benefits of life and deciding it was not worth living, an inquest was told yesterday.

Dario Iacoponi, 15, a pupil at the London Oratory in Fulham, west London, which is attended by Tony Blair's two sons, Euan, 14, and Nicky, 12, kept a diary of his philosophical thoughts on life in the two months leading up to his death. The Oratory is one of the top Roman Catholic schools in the country.

After weighing up the pros and cons, he decided to commit suicide and planned it meticulously. He taught himself to use his father's shotgun and worked out how to fire it with a wooden spoon. He then waited until neither of his parents was at home before carrying out the plan last month. Dr John Burton, the West London Coroner, said it was clearly a considered process and Dario "came down on the side of suicide". The inquest was told that the teenager was a brilliant pupil who had already passed six GCSEs at A* or A grades a year early. He played the violin and piano and was hoping to study law at Yale or Harvard.

But a darker side to his character emerged in diaries found by police. They spoke of his difficulties in coping with life, although there was little, or no mention, of any specific problem such as bullying.  Dario, an only child, was found by a 20-year-old lodger at the family's home in Ealing, west London. He had a shotgun by his side. His father, Pietro, a translator, was in Switzerland on business, and his mother, Saleni, a teacher, was at an amateur dramatics class.

Inspector Colin Nursey, who found five diaries covering the last year of Dario's life, said there was a reference in them contemplating suicide. "He would not leave a note, he was very specific about that," he said.

Neither parent was in court, but Nadia Taylor, a family friend for the past 15 years, told the inquest that Dario was "always a very sociable and very friendly person". She added: "We are all very shocked. It all came as a surprise to us that he felt this way." But Dr Burton said he could see no other conclusion than that Dario had taken his own life. "He has made it clear that he did so. That is the only verdict that I can return.

"He was quite stoical about it. He did not fear death. He decided on balance that life is not good and points out that the mathematics he has used are indisputable."

Dario's headmaster, John McIntosh, has said he was baffled and the school shocked. "He was an extremely able boy and he got on well with other pupils and his teachers and was extremely happy at school."