Dhamma school education facing crisis

Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Dhamma Dissanayake said Dhamma school education in the country was facing a crisis and that its objects could not be met due to the school education system.

Addressing a programme to inculcate social values in school children he said it was sad that the competitive school education which was an ordeal that burdened the schoolchildren had been adopted in the field of Dhamma school education and that it prevented free thinking and inculcating in children the social values as enunciated by the religious teachers.

The governor pointed out that instead of imparting a knowledge in Pali and Sanskrit as in the past, the Dhamma school education today has given priority to competitions in oratory, recitation and relating stories.

“The Dhamma school education system has further burdened the children who are facing an ordeal due to the competitive school education targetting examinations. The need of the hour is to free the Dhamma school education from the framework of the school education system. It is the duty of all those concerned to put their heads together and work out new Dhamma school system that would be productive” he said.

Director of Education, Sabaragamuwa Province Lalith Bambarabotuwa, Asst. Director Ven. Kantale Vijithawansa Thera, and Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Education Mahinda S.weerasuriya were present at the occasion.