by Saman Indrajith
A petition against introducing English as a medium of instruction in Advanced Level classes," signed by more than 20,000 school pupils in all provinces except North and East will be handed over to the Minister of Education tomorrow at the Isurupaya.

"We are not against changing the medium of instruction, but it should not deprive a student’s right to education," said Chameera Koswatta, Convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), the organising body of the petition campaign.

Reformers and policy planners have not fully assessed the practical consequences of their aim of changing the medium of instruction into English from Sinhala, he said. "Reformers have stated that they would select a number of schools and teach A/L Science and maths stream classes in English medium. Have they considered the fact that our education system lacks a large number of English teachers, and Science and Maths teachers who know no English? There are large number of teachers who do not have at least a pass for English at their O/L exams," he said.

He admitted that the aim of introducing English medium is progressive but only if there is a long-term plan. "They should have trained teachers first and implemented their reforms. We indicated to all authorities that English should be made compulsory in all M.Sc programmes, and English must be taught properly as a language in primary classes. And, we said that the English language competence of all school teachers must be upgraded."

"How can we be ensured about the optimistic picture with no trouble preached by the reformers. Why can not they see the real picture even at universities where science and maths subjects are taught in English medium. Lectures deliver their lectures and set the paper in English but the students are allowed to answer in Sinhala. Finally, they graduate with a degree in English medium, but are incompetent to compile a report in English," he explained.

This policy will only deprive the university of large number of science and maths students. Now the students in A/L science & maths classes do not know only English, but if this implemented, the next result sheet will indicate that they do not know science and maths too, he said.

Undergraduates organized by the IUSF visited schools in all provinces except North and East to collect signatures of AL students against the proposed change in the medium of instruction. Two undergraduates of Kelaniya University who went to Gampaha Yasodhara Devi Balika Maha Vidyalaya to collect signatures were arrested by Gamapha police on June 06th and were later released as teachers of the school explained the situation to police authorities.