Free Education up to what level? Certainly NOT AT UNIVERSITY SURELY - Geethika Dharmasinghe~

Reading the attached article in the link referred to here, where a successful product of Sri Lanka’s free education system received a Fulbright Scholarship and is pursuing further education in the US, comments on the advantages of free education over that of private education in the US without really understanding the pros and cons, and is truly reflective of the pathetic education she had received due to our free education system.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/113169/Is-Free-Education-a-boon-or-a-bane-

In a country where a select few like the writer has been truly able to benefit from the school system so as to enter University, she is the minority of those who have been able to leap into a State University, the top 1% so to speak. So here you have the top 1% talking when the next 99% don’t have a basic education and she is talking, free for the top 1% and aka scholarship and NOT a right! Where is she coming from? Not understanding what she is trying to say.

What I maintain is that everyone in Sri Lanka is entitled to a very good free education system till age 16 and NOT FURTHER. Our education system with Tuition does NOT give even that, and she has the gall to talk about free university education. A typical IUSF mindset.

IN THE US - That can be obtained by sacrifice, or payment if you will. It may be subsidized and certain people who are high achievers may be able to win scholarships, and it is even possible that some disadvantaged groups receive preferential or bursaries into higher education. However free TERTIARY EDUCATION IS A FIRM NO.

She is using the US system as a failure, one where she for the grace of a Fulbright has actually been able to learn so that she can impart some good suggestions, but alas she has been completely misled into a wrong path of mediocrity of learning! The best of Sri Lanka go to US Universities and most never come back to mother Lanka, I did.

Let it be said that there are scholarships in the US for bright kids and we must follow that. There are also bursaries for poorer kids, and further there are lower fees for instate students.

She is further harping on the credit rating of people, as their non-payment of loans affects their ability to borrow, or get loans for homes etc. If only she had studied the period of which these loans need to be paid, she will realize it is reasonable. It may penalize the lazy or one who has unexpectedly fallen on hard times, due to illness, in that context I will agree that the Health Care system is archaic and needs overhaul, but don’t confuse that with Free Education please.

In my opinion, even though she says the quality of life is dependent on the ability to choose how much leisure time we have, let me remind her that it is precisely this lotus eater mentality where our people choose leisure over work, is why we are in this mess, as we desire material things but we are NOT willing to work for them, and prefer receiving them FREE.

She is typical of what is wrong with Sri Lankans, and everything she espouses exposes her prejudices. Yes she does not espouse Anglo Saxon work ethic, but then she just has to live in with much less. She does not state that, and it has NOTHING to do with education. So don't confuse quality of life with education as they are mutually exclusive. It is choice we need to give and we pay for our choices if it means we want more of something.

For example I do not posses a means of transport, I don’t have electricity in my home. I can therefore live on less than what she probably spends, as the protein is just fish caught in the lake. I certainly don’t espouse that as the norm. If we all live like that we will just as well live in the dark ages, and perhaps have a high quality of life, but don’t expect someone else to pay for your education, as that is exactly this myth of free education is! Some is working their butt off to pay for someone's free education, don't ever forget that and our Undergraduates don't even realize this. NOTHING IS FREE

I am actually quite cross with her for not knowing that nothing in this world is free. Someone else pays for it. I hate to think that my poor neighboring farmers who don’t have a penny to scratch their backsides with have paid for her education in the Sri Lankan University system that she so smugly glorifies, without realizing that person who has paid for it is in want. It is a zero sum game, and the sooner we take the word FREE OUT OF EVERY THING the better it is.

I trust this girl will from now on value those who paid for her education. Please therefore realize that the US tax payer has not paid for some lout to get educated and not realize its benefit. Only those  who want to learn, to better themselves and maybe get a job that they want will work, save, and pay for their education.

Take my case, if I have a child, I will do my utmost to educate this child as best as I can till age 16 to O levels. I will then give the child a one way ticket to the US and say seek your fortune. (fortunately they will be a US citizen) They will be thrown at the deep end, get a job in Taco Bell and start from scratch, live a tough life, get into a lower paying community college, and if their grades are good graduate to a better State University, and if they do well get a scholarship in the subject of their choice, and will go through the system and end up with some debt that they will know they will have repay. If they cannot hack that formula they can always return to Sri Lanka and be a lotus eater!

Hell they appreciate everything they have got and NOT the unappreciative SL undergraduate who forever moans and demonstrates at MY EXPENSE.  

I would love to meet with you to discuss this~