New reforms in higher education system:

Bi-lingual skills improve

Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake has launched a process of reforms to bring about a fruitful and meaningful change in the system of Higher Education in Sri Lanka. Prof Carlo Fonseka expressed his views about these new reforms in an interview with Amila Thenuwara recently. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Q: Does the Higher Education system in Sri Lanka need any urgent reforms?

A: Under the free education system introduced by Sri Lanka’s first Education Minister Dr C W W Kannangara in 1945 all children born in Sri Lanka are entitled to free education from the Kindergarten to the University level. This system was subjected to reforms periodically according to the needs of the times. I consider reforms as a continuous process.

It is the duty of this Government to complete this task. Reforms are most needed in the Higher Education Sector.

Q: Policies are now being formulated for this purpose. Under the proposed policies English is to be made a compulsory subject for university students? What is your opinion about this and other reforms intended by Higher Education Minister?

A: The forthright and fearless statements made by Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake proves that he has a clear understanding about the reforms needed in the Higher Education Sector. I feel that the reforms should be intended to improve the quality of Higher Education to a level of excellence.

The Higher Education Minister has accepted one fact without a contest. That is that the mother tongue alone is insufficient for children to reach their targets in the 21st Century. Knowledge of English is essential for children in the modern world to enable them to improve their latent talents. As such the Minister always emphasized the need for children pursuing higher education to improve bi-lingual skills. I fully agree with the Minister’s policy of making English compulsory in addition to the mother tongue.

Q: Graduate unemployment has become a national problem. The majority of them are Arts graduates. What is your solution to this crisis?

A: Graduate unemployment is not an education problem alone. It is connected to the country’s overall economy. This is proved when we consider the statistics relating to this grave problem. When we gained Independence in 1948 our population was only six million. Today it is over 20 million. Although our economy has improved over the years it has not kept pace with the increase in population.

Apart from this needs and mundane aspirations of people in the modern world have increased. Since the majority are unable to fulfil them in a short period they become uneasy mentally. That is why unemployment has become a national problem. Students entering the faculties of medicine, science and engineering don’t have that pressure. It is well known that the government has drawn its attention towards several new sectors of the economy. Among them are Ports, Airports and Tourist Industry. If we work according to plan unemployment problem will be resolved to a great extent.

Everyone accepted that the education system should be changed to create a workforce with the knowledge and skills needed for these new sectors. Those jobs mostly need science and technological knowledge. As such we should direct our children more towards technical subjects than arts subjects.

Q: What sort of contribution should be made by television and radio channels in Sri Lanka towards the objectives of Higher Education?

A: There are three vital problems in education. (1) What is taught? (2) How to teach? (3) How to prove that children have learnt what they ought to learn?

As regards the first problems the knowledge, skills and attitudes relating to each subject have been identified and published. The government is deciding on them after consulting specialists and veterans in the field. For example the knowledge and skills a MBBS graduate should possess can be found out by accessing the Internet. It is the same with other subjects.

What should be taught has been clearly defined in terms of the educational aims and objectives. As regards how to teach there is no single method. Traditionally university education is not considered very important today. Distance Education is in a very developed stage now. Today theoretical knowledge can be obtained by using television, radio and computer technology. Teachers and trained teachers are needed to provide practical knowledge only. What is taught in universities are mentioned in books and magazines. Good teachers only help the students to gain the knowledge required. Whatever communication medium is used to obtain knowledge, skills and attitudes finally it is the government’s objective to inspect and certify them. The third question is how to certify that the students are armed with that knowledge.

What is taught, how to teach and who teaches are unimportant in the 21st Century. What is important is the question as to now it can be certified beyond doubt that the students have learnt the subject well.

In other words what is important is the examination system. The examination is the misfortune of students who have not learnt a subject thoroughly.

Q: What is the best and shortest possible way to identify problems in Higher Education?

A: Several reports have been published relating to problems in Higher Education.

The real problems can be identified by studying them. The incumbent Higher Education Minister has correctly grasped them.

He also has the solutions to them. But they cannot be solved overnight as the education sector is very complex. It is clear that the Minister has understood as to what should be done to ensure an excellent Higher Education system after discussing them with veterans in the field.

He has realized that it is most prudent and timely to seek the assistance of the government and private sectors and International Universities to provide a quality Higher Education system.

I see him acting with determination to bring in the solutions amidst certain controversies and this is a good sign.

Q: University politics seems to have been an obstruction to Sri Lanka’s future development. Some consider ragging of freshers as an obstacle towards the development of Higher Education. What is your opinion about it?

A: Firstly I must say that academic activities in the Faculties of Medicine and Engineering are progressing well. The future of students graduating from them are secure.

It is true that it is their own brothers and sisters who are studying in other faculties.

Since their future is not that bright or positive their agitation and frustration is not a strange thing. That is why they are drawn towards violence. This will peter down systematically if the quality of their education improves to that the Engineering and Medical facilities and our economy improves. Then the ragging will also automatically stop. I firmly believe that the country’s economy should be developed and the resultant dividends distributed among the people in a fair manner.