Ragging in Sri Lankan Universities - Chinese Perspective

Dr.P.A. Samaraweera China

In a letter to an English Daily on September 26., titled 'Ragging in universities', a subscriber observes, "...Ragging in universities must stop. The perverts must be punished severely...Get the military to give protection to the new comers. Our Forces defeated the ruthless LTTE... Tackle these poisonous snakes..."

A few weeks ago it was reported that two university students were on remand custody because of ragging while the victim had to undergo surgery. A couple of years ago another student's life ended on a wheel-chair. The writer's comments and these incidents show the seriousness of ragging in universities in Sri Lanka. This type of extremism is alien in countries like the UK, Australia, NZ, US etc. Of course, each country has their own way to tackle problems and here is China's strategy.

Last week was the beginning of the academic year in Chinese universities. Because of the publicity given to 'university ragging' and as I was in China, out of curiosity I visited two universities, Sun Yat Sun and Xinhua Universities in the Guangzhou Province to see how students react.

During the first week, the new students have no scheduled lectures. Instead they do a program conducted by the Educational Instructors of the Army.

On the 1st day, they are welcomed, treated with refreshments, shown around the university, introduce themselves to the seniors, divided into groups and so on.

The rest of the week they are involved in the program.

The program is angled on Chinese cultural issues and related to drama, playing musical instruments, singing, dancing, presenting comical/entertaining episodes, debating etc. Thus students are given an opportunity to display any special skills they have.

They are also given training in marching and during this week they have to wear army combat uniforms. I noticed that they were thrilled, happy and proud to wear the army kits and be engaged in all those leisurely activities.

On the last day of the week they have to perform to the whole university, which includes the academic staff, at the open-air theatre and they consider it a 'fun evening' as groups compete against each other. All universities had been following the same format since the Revolution.

The Chinese have their own style. Sri Lanka has to adopt its own policies for this social problem and control the brutal methods adopted by some of the seniors to the new-comers to Sri Lankan universities as it causes undue stress to parents, students and universities.