CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE BURDENED WITH PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION - ANUSHA GOKULA

Director General of Cultural Affairs Anusha Gokula said the best education system in the world was in Vietnam and Finland where the children would not be burdened with pre-school education at the age of four years and that they are made aesthetic and sensitive to beauty through activities at home instead.

Addressing a programme based on the theme of “Art of Living” organised by the Cultural Unit of the Polonnaruwa District Secretariat she pointed out that the children turned bookish from their formative years would distance themselves from real life and ignored their social obligations. She said thousands of elders abandoned by their children were living in elders’ homes most probably due to their failure to promote an aesthetic environment in their houses.

“Human brain has two faculties.

It is the duty of the parents to allow children to learn from nature and to enjoy music and art without burdening them with private tuition

One in the left builds logical thinking and intelligence while the other in the right builds aesthetic feelings and sensitivity to beauty. Parents compel their children from four years of age to activate the former. Ultimately the child who obtains “A” passes for all subject fails to fulfill his social obligations. Scientific research has found that the kids burdened with book learning from the age of four years would suffer nervous disorders and that it would result in their antipathy to human activities appealing to imagination. We have in Sri Lanka several preschools run by teachers with proper professional qualifications who would not burden the kids with book learning. However, the parents give preference to pre-school where their children learn from books. It is the duty of the parents to allow children to learn from nature and to enjoy music and art without burdening them with private tuition targeting the year five scholarship examination,” she said.

Director General of Cultural Affairs further said Sri Lanka was the only country in the world that holds year five scholarship examination or any other public examination at the primary school level.

Additional Government Agents Ajantha Ekanayake, W.G.W. Wanasinghe and several other senior officials were present at the occasion.