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Only under self-ruled Northeast, free and normal education is feasible

The declaration at the student uprising convention, attended by more than 2000 students from 72 schools in Jaffna, held at the Kailasapathy hall in Jaffna University on Friday asserted that, free and normal education is feasible only in a self-ruled Northeast. The full text of the declaration follows:

Tamil people have a long history of educational tradition. This tradition gave very high priority for the education of the next generation whatever the family’s financial situation happens to be. Therefore, they are a highly civilised people possessing outstanding institutions. Not only that, they use their education as their primary resource for their livelihood. They have served well in government sectors before independence in 1948. The universities were filled with Tamil students prior to 1970. This education was instrumental in Tamils finding employment and starting successful business overseas. Tamils thus shone socially and economically in this island. This education also bred in them the thirst for freedom.

After independence of Srilanka......

The Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism, which took upper hand after independence, was determined to suppress Tamils in several ways. Based on the premise that to destroy the strength of the Tamils, the foundation for their strength, their educational achievements ought to be destroyed, Sinhala leaders planned and executed several projects and still are continuing to do so. Thugs who were lead by the then cabinet minister Gamini Dissanayake burnt down our greatest treasure, the Jaffna library and our media institutions. Such well-planned destruction of Tamils’ educational institutions has brought down the educational standard among Tamils to unprecedented levels. Jaffna district that had the highest educational standard in the country is now on the 14th position. Tamils who earlier opposed standardisation of marks based on educational facilities available to the students for university entrance, are today in the tragic situation of asking for standardisation in order to obtain a fair number of places in the universities.

Some examples of planned activities of the Sri Lankan state to destroy the education of Tamils.

- Sri Lankan military displaced thousands of Tamil civilians from their homes so that they can use it for their own purposes. The military is also occupying several schools under the cover of high security zones.

- During carpet bombing, schools were not spared and to date no assistance has been provided to rebuild the destroyed schools. Students are forced to study in tents and under trees.

- Military, by setting up checkpoints and security posts around schools, continues to harass students and teachers, and is destroying their sense of well being which in turn is destroying the conducive environment for teaching and learning.

- Military is causing fear of the resumption of war among the population in Northeast and through this ruining the environment for learning.

- The quality of the textbooks for use in Tamil medium schools is deliberately sabotaged and even the distribution of textbooks is delayed well into the academic year.

- Chemicals and other laboratory facilities, and other educational resources are withheld from Tamil schools.

- Deliberately causing cultural destruction of Tamil students by distributing drugs and blue films among them.

- Even causing deaths among students through lack of proper transport facilities.

- Through assassinations of school principals, and arrests of students causing a state of fear that disturbs the education in schools.

- Cause frustration among students through unsuitable educational policies and orders.

- Failing to take any concrete actions to rehabilitate the lives and education of students affected by the tsunami. Also by blocking the implementation of the P-TOMS agreement failing to do the same.

- Failing appoint the required number of Tamil teachers. While there is an excess of 10,000 Sinhala teachers, there is also a shortage of 6000 Tamil teachers.

- Improper procedures adopted to appoint school principals and education officials and thus lowering the educational level of Tamil students.

In this background we the Tamil students have come together to declare the following.

“We the Tamil students are determined to rebuild our greatest treasure, our education, and through this rebuild our social and economic institutions and at the same time take forward our educational development in tune with the international technological changes. Our free and normal education will be feasible only under a self-ruled Northeast. Realising this we declare that we will join hands in our actions to achieve this goal.”

The student power is a formidable power.

13 November 2005

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