Sumal -UHO Says

The Strike is still ongoing in universities .Apparently the protesting elements (FUTA, IUSF, JVP and some sections of the opposition) say that strike is to force the Govt: to allocate the 6% GDP for the education. But as we observed so far, their actual objectives are the 1) increment of their salary 2) hidden political objective of dragging society toward an anarchy which favorable for the JVP and other lumpen revolutionists. Government has never denied the possibility of allocating more funds to the education. Such effort needs some time and pre-analysis for proper implementation. However, funding alone would not resolve all the problems. Need more services and infrastructures, said in precise terms SL education system requires a drastic change. Eradicate the ragging and student mafias, especially the establishment of private and corporative universities those enable influx of modern tech, research and laboratory facilities etc. Let us not forget the main objective of the education; making good citizens for the country and not low class student/lecturer thugs going rampage.

It is clear the unforeseen political hand behind the lecturers’ strike, indeed IUSF is the JVPs student wing and FUTA is almost the same, while the protest activities inside the Jaffna University are being supported by the pro-LTTE elements. However, some SL universitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and academics have not joined in this strike. Most of countries those allocate six percent of the GDP towards education, charge fees for higher education. So , are our students ready to pay?.

Because of these FUTA, IUSF protests and strikes, final year university students cannot graduate from universities and apply for jobs that have been gazetted, students already waiting to enter university cannot enter and teachers are refusing to mark the Advanced Level Exam papers of students. What kind of situation is this? Who is going to payback ?

Channa L Says

Jayashree!

I too appreciated Sumal’s grasp of this education matter. There are ex-private Tution masters on both sides of the political devide. They owe their political career to the enmassing of vulnerable hopefuls at the detriment of state education. Wouldn’t they know that the greater profit eventually deposits in the provider of the service?

This is the peni-waraka-gediya that all kaakkas (from marxist to colonist to NGO to evangelist) want to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have a peck at.

The state sits like the aging parent having to convince that they are doing the best for it’s siblings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Has not the state provided enough and still continue to do so for our education from 6-26? Are there not pleny of living testements even amongst the educators . ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It may be debatable…. But what should not happen is let the kaakkas have their peck.

I’d rather see the parent exercising it’s full authority (if be militaryintervension) than let the kaakkas have a fieldday at the expense of our delicate future.

On Saturday, September 29, 2012, Mohn S wrote:

Good to see this response by Sumal. He has seen through absolute contradiction in activities related to so called FUTA bandwagon. Especially when one follows slew of arguments in statements issued in support of FUTA by ‘respected teachers’ in our system of higher learning.

Sumal’s has hit on piƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¨ce de rƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚©sistance for this FUTA saga when he stated foll:
“..Most of countries those allocate six percent of the GDP towards education, charge fees for higher education. So, are our students ready to pay?...”

Receiving a university education is a privilege, never a given. Among many requisite factors such as intellectual capacity etc. there is a fundamental requirement. That is the cost incurred to provide such an education. Collective resources in any society expended in the aspiration of deriving a benefit which serves anticipated needs in such society. Accordingly, cost of necessary training during formative stages of young citizens borne by society thus preparing these young minds for respective roles they would play when inducted in as full fledged members in due in due course.

Lanka has been expending relatively a large sum of her national wealth extending privilege of a higher education to appropriate citizens as a national policy, free of charge, during the last half century. Time is ripe to carefully re-evaluate whether or not resources expended on proving higher education has generated requisite needs of society. Not just churning the philosophers, specialists in the sciences, the engineers, healthcare professionals, the policy makers, the historians, the artists etc. but a community of graceful, learned people who demonstrate ability to command respect & honour of all citizens who have contributed their mite for their training. When university teachers, themselves trained free of charge by citizens of Lanka, band themselves to hoist placards, banners & to form themselves in to gangs behaving like animated monkeys in yellow t’shirts, that indicates a serious flaw in the higher education paradigm formulated by citizens of Lanka. Therefore a correction is required.

Dividing total cost for funding centers for higher learning i.e. recurring cost= salaries + benefits to include annualized pension commitment for teaching & support staff, maintenance costs, capital + misc costs etc. by the number of students enrolled in universities provides a rough estimate of cost per university student per annum. SB puts this number @ Rs.257,387 p.a. If so, 4 year hons degree would cost apx a Rs.1,000,000 per student. Suppose the student is empowered to decide how higher education allotment granted to each qualified candidate is targeted? Meaning that, prospective student has the option to decide on the institute he or she would desire to study. And, our universities re-oriented to follow time tested principles used elsewhere in the world by making them work hard to maintain high standards of academic excellence which attracts prospective undergrads whose tuition fees fund a major component in their recurring cost. Perhaps then, each centre for higher learning would transform to an autonomous centre with leeway on decisions related to costs, appropriate remuneration to teaching staff etc. thus devoid of political skullduggery which teachers seem to complain bitterly about. Thus enabling them to focus on attaining excellence in teaching which would now be a bread & butter issue for teaching staff!