'Trained mind takes right decision at right time'

Chaminda PERERA

COLOMBO: Trained minds take right decisions at the right time and they discard the irrelevant, Chancellor of the Open University Sam Wijesinghe said.

Speaking at the 19th General Convocation of the Open University of Sri Lanka at the BMICH on Tuesday, he said the delegation who represent Sri Lanka at major foras such as IMF meeting should have sound knowledge in their respective field.

Teaching has long earned respect of the community. More teachers are following postgraduate courses in this university and the country needs competent academics for this profession, he said.

Professor Senake Bandaranayake and Professor Chandra Gunawardena who have enhanced the knowledge and expertise in their respective discipline received honourary doctorates.

Professor Bandaranayake delivered the convocation address at the morning session while Professor Gunawardena delivered the evening session address on Towards Teacher Professionalism.

Professor Gunawardena said teaching lacks shared standards and a firm monopoly over service.

The medical trade unions and professional associations guard recruitment to their professions but teaching becomes the victim of its own recruitment procedure and loses monopoly over its service she said.

"All decision makers pertinent to different professional areas are representatives of the professions themselves. But rarely are teachers, teacher educators, educationists are appointed to such decision making bodies even in the area of education," she said.

"Whether we possess technical expertise or specialised knowledge or not authorities do not seem to feel that we possess such expertise," Professor Gunawardena said.

Tharanga Nishanthi Gunaratne received the Professor Jayasuriya Gold Medal for Postgraduate Diploma in Education 2005 from the Chancellor.

The University conducts over 600 courses including Diploma and Higher Diploma and has opened doors for over 22,000 students.

Over 1,500 students received Postgraduate and Bachelors' degrees at the Convocation.

The Open University deviating from traditional method of teaching in Sri Lanka universities promotes open and distance learning and assists persons deprived of their higher education due to various reasons.

The university comprising four faculties-Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural Science and Engineering and Technology was established in 1980 to help aspirants of higher education irrespective of their age and status.