BY Professor
A.N.I. Ekanayake

With the discharge of O’Stage outcomes just lately as soon as once more, it’s the season when academic {qualifications} are what’s uppermost within the minds of hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren, their households and properly wishers across the nation. With feelings starting from sheer delight to extreme disappointment relying on the outcomes obtained, one can speculate that for a lot of households it’s a time when considerations about their youngsters’s training might need momentarily overshadowed even the travails of survival in a corrupt depressing nation devastated by financial chapter, social unrest, political instability, and contempt for the rule of legislation.

Consequently amidst the prevailing concentrate on training dominated by the new information that 10, 863 obtained 9 A’s, 231, 982 certified for the GCE (A) Stage, and 6566 failed in all topics, it’s an opportune time to as soon as extra increase the vexed situation of 225 parliamentarians arrogantly refusing to disclose their academic {qualifications} to the voting public whom they declare to signify.

The cussed resistance to voluntarily divulging such fundamental data is tantamount to spitting within the face of the voters who’ve elected them. The scandal is made worse by the revelation of the late Prof MOA de Soysa in 2017 that in that parliament 94 MPs had not even handed their GCE O/L Stage examination whereas there have been solely 25 college graduates among the many 225 legislators. For apparent causes one can speculate that the figures for the 225 MPs elected in 2020 are prone to be much more miserable. That will clarify why they’re so secretive about their academic attainments.

Against this within the UK 85 % of members elected to the Home of Commons in 2019 had been to college with 57 % of cupboard members having studied at Oxford or Cambridge! In Singapore 20/22 cupboard ministers have a postgraduate diploma. Within the USA it has been reported that the overwhelming majority of Members (94.8% of Home Members and 100% of Senators) initially of the 116th Congress held bachelor’s levels whereas 68 % of Home Members and 77% of Senators had academic levels past a bachelor’s diploma. Surprisingly even within the Indian Lok Sabha 394 MPs (75 %) possess a minimum of a college diploma.

Such comparisons put Sri Lankan parliamentarians to disgrace. No marvel they stubbornly refuse to make a voluntary declaration of their academic {qualifications} in keeping with the voter’s proper to essential data essential to make an knowledgeable selection when voting. It will seem that additional to a citizen in search of this data beneath the RTI Act in 2021 some cringing parliamentary official had written in desultory style to all MPs requesting them to furnish details about their academic {and professional} {qualifications}. However the inquiry being made within the gentlest sycophantic and submissive tone possible asking MPs to “kindly” give this data and even that provided that they have been “keen”, the inquiry apparently fell on deaf ears for not a single member had responded even after the lapse of two months! The sudden hush that appears to return over the Home, when its occupants are requested about their academic {qualifications}, contrasts with the raucous shouting huge speak and bumptious self-confidence of members at different occasions when the supreme legislative physique within the public notion so usually seems like a fish market.

The justifications given for MPs refusing to state their academic {qualifications} are after all tendentious. A number one weekend newspaper reported {that a} parliamentary data officer had said that such data was ‘private’ that means that its disclosure could be a violation of privateness. That after all is the form of nonsense that makes one query the intelligence and training of parliamentary officers as properly! It’s not as if individuals are asking MPs about their sexual preferences, whether or not and, in that case, how incessantly they drink, smoke, chew betel, or eat narcotics. Nor are individuals asking them to reveal whether or not or not they brush their tooth and in that case how incessantly, how a lot they weigh and what’s their stomach girth on condition that generally weight problems alerts a historical past of gluttony and a sedentary indulgent life fashion which may represent a poor instance in a politician who canvasses their vote having set his sights on say changing into a Minister of Well being or Training ! Clearly, nobody disputes that every one such data is private non-public and strictly confidential. No one expects MPs to reveal such particulars about themselves.

Not so with academic {qualifications}. You can’t get a job on this nation with out stating your academic {qualifications} within the utility kind. Why should parliamentarians who plead to your vote be an exception after they apply to turn out to be legislators? Such secrecy doesn’t make sense. It’s neither truthful nor logical. For voters to learn in regards to the academic attainments of their potential representatives so as to make an knowledgeable selection is as basic as realizing whether or not or not the politician who canvasses their vote is illiterate, has been licensed mad by a psychiatrist, or has a historical past of conviction by a court docket of legislation.

A second flimsy excuse proffered by a parliamentary officer is that the Structure doesn’t specify a minimal academic normal to be an MP. The implication is that due to this fact an MP will not be certain to voluntarily reveal his academic {qualifications} to the electors. However neither does the structure particularly forbid a parliamentarian from beating his spouse, or committing adultery. Nevertheless it goes with out saying that he has an ethical responsibility to not take pleasure in such behaviour. Nor does the Structure lay down {that a} parliamentarian should be an individual of excessive integrity, devotion to responsibility, and dedication to service. Nevertheless it goes with out saying that with out such attributes a so-called individuals’s consultant degenerates right into a self-serving political parasite.

The Structure is to not be equated with the sacred texts of faith. It’s not the final phrase on the moral requirements, ethical crucial and name of responsibility of those that declare to signify the individuals. Regardless of the Structure says or doesn’t say, parliamentarians have an inescapable ethical responsibility to voluntarily disclose their academic attainments to voters.

The ultimate objection to such disclosure is probably the most ludicrous. It has been claimed that an MPs academic {qualifications} don’t have any relationship to any “public exercise” and that such disclosure will not be essentially justified by the bigger” public curiosity”. Such poppycock ignores the truth that in a democracy there is no such thing as a extra vital “public exercise” than voters exercising the franchise. Simply as academic attainments are the idea on which individuals are chosen for unusual employment, for voters to know the academic {qualifications} of candidates is of the very best ‘public curiosity’. Facets of the non-public lives of those that aspire to public workplace are of the very best public significance. Politicians are usually not entitled to the posh of hiding their private lives behind a cloak of secrecy particularly on such issues as their training which is of crucial significance in assessing their health to be legislators. Those that are unduly finicky in regards to the privateness of their private lives ought to keep on with the relative obscurity of personal life avoiding the glare of prestigious public workplace the place their non-public lives inevitably and with good justification turn out to be a respectable matter of public curiosity. They can’t have the most effective of each worlds.

Regardless of the ethical and moral crucial for members of parliament to voluntarily disclose their academic attainments as argued right here, it’s a useless hope. Given the crass insensitivity of politicians to enlightened public opinion these days we’d solely be deluding ourselves to think about that something of the type would ever occur. On this state of affairs it’s hoped that a minimum of the next may happen:

These MPs who’re in sympathy with the feelings expressed on this article led by Opposition social gathering leaders may formally take up this situation in parliament and suggest that every one 225 members ought to make a public declaration of their academic attainments. If such a proposition is accepted both unanimously or a minimum of by a majority vote, nothing extra must be stated. However which may require a miracle.

= If as appears possible such a proposition is flatly rejected, these members on either side of the home who don’t have any qualms about declaring their academic attainments, can for his or her half go forward and accomplish that by title unilaterally no matter those that decline to take action. This will likely embody a major variety of MPs who’re properly certified in addition to some who’re poorly certified. Nevertheless, any embarrassment the latter may really feel at disclosing their lack of educational achievement, shall be overridden by the appreciation of a grateful public who would worth their honesty openness and sensitivity to the general public curiosity no matter their academic limitations.

=The remaining politicians who of their cussed conceitedness nonetheless refuse to make a voluntary declaration of their academic attainments, will thus determine themselves by a means of exclusion, and be despised by the general public for missing both training or respect for public opinion, or each.