Stringent changes needed in university education system to solve basic problems - President

by Ranil Wijayapala

Political parties and political leaders need to have a positive attitude towards stringent reforms in the higher education system to solve the eternal problems in the university education system, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said yesterday.

Addressing the General Convocation of the South Eastern University at the BMICH yesterday, President Kumaratunga said that 'Stringent changes' should be made in the university education system to solve the basic problems it faces at present.

President Kumaratunga pointed out that some people 'with far away theoretical politics' are preventing the government from encouraging foreign universities to open up faculties here to train young graduates at a much lesser cost.

The President said they are doing nothing to prevent parents from selling their lands and their properties to send their children to foreign countries to obtain higher education. "We must realise that we have deprived 97 per cent of students who have qualified to enter university the right to obtain the same privileges as the university students are enjoying at present", she added.

"Only three per cent of students who passed the Advanced Level examination are getting the chance to have a university education in the country", the President pointed out.

"Political paries should stop taking petty political advantages out of this situation and help us solve this problem", the President added.

President Kumaratunga also stressed the necessity to introduce a 'different and preferential' allowance system to keep university lecturers in Sri Lanka, as the university system is facing an acute shortage of teachers at present.

"We can provide universities with all the facilities, buildings, laboratories, hostels, libraries etc, but the basic problem we are facing is the shortage of teachers", the President pointed out.

She said the university teachers trained at Government costs are leaving the country after a couple of years.

"The only practical solution to this is to offer them higher salaries and allowances to keep them in the country", she added.

She pointed out that Communist countries like China also adopt such methods to keep trained people in special vocations, in their country.

The President said that the Government will take adequate measures to put a stop to violence in universities.

"Some groups specially attached to certain political parties are using knives, batons and even guns to attack their democratic opponents who contested at the university election", the President added.

President Kumaratunga said that university students should put pressure on political parties to stop violence in the country as political parties are responsible for the violent culture in the country.

"They should exercise their young minds and brains to analyze the problems rather than resorting to violence to solve problems", she added.

She also said that Sri Lanka should emulate a country like Pakistan which had taken only graduates as their Ministers in the Cabinet.