Dilemmas of disaffected undergraduates
Amalshan GUNERATHNE
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In the midst of the dilemma |
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At a lecture
The controversy! |
Floating aimlessly in a fragile raft, stranded and not knowing where
the storm is taking them, they protest, plead and cry in dejected agony
for a ray of hope that would ultimately take them to green pastures in
life. Such is the strife that local undergraduates are faced with these
days. Sandwiched amid this cyclonic crisis is the crust of country's
intellectual wealth.
Gaining university entrance was once considered as an achievement
that only gifted and talented was able to achieve. It was only an
elusive aspiration that eluded many no matter how hard they tried and
those who achieved it was looked up with high-esteem. It was the path to
great glory and a one that could pave the way for great things in life,
they felt. Is it still the case? As things stands now, the tides have
changed.
Hardwork
You strive, work hard and get to university and you expect good
things for your efforts, but sadly for all that hardwork what you find
there is a nightmarish maze. As you get there, a sense of
disillusionment and paranoia creep in to an extent that it drives you to
a frustrating dementia. Such is the mental torment and torture that
local undergraduates go through these days.
While rich march their merry journey for great things in life by
going for foreign education or invest their money on various information
technology (IT) or business related course streams, the rest suffers.
Has the local university system run out of gas or does it still have
the capacity to lay that majestic platform that would enable talented
individuals to excel in life? Does it have the strength to stand up
against the threat post by private universities? These are only few
grave questions that loom over the higher-education system.
The time is ripe to start treating the system as a patient that
should be treated with proper sedatives-a one that has the potential to
recover and achieve great things, if treated properly. No matter how
dysfunctional it may be, the university system is still the only way
that a kid from rural village can hope to break social boundaries and
achieve glory in life.
With all the local universities being closed and lecturers on strike
and students aimlessly running around like headless chicken wondering
when things would start to function again, Daily News decided to catch
up with officials in ministry of higher education and FUTA (Federation
of University Teacher's Association) members to discuss the latest
developments that are being taken to solve the current issues of the
university system.
Strike for months
The university lecturers have being on strike for months and as
things stand now, even after the latest development where government
agreed to five of FUTA's demands; there do not seem to be any
reconciliation between the two parties. At a recent press release issued
by the ministry, they agreed to five of FUTA's demands, except for the
one which demanded twenty percent salary increase for the lecturers.
Speaking of the crisis, the Secretary of the Ministry of Higher
Education, Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawarathne noted, "We have conceded to
five of their demands and it is up for them to make a decision now. But
still they are dragging it on.
Final year exams
"The universities are not functioning properly and we are highly
worried about students. There are students who are doing final year
exams as well. If they fail to come out on time they will lose lots of
opportunities. FUTA are worried about national level issues, but they
are not worried about student issues."
However, according to the president of FUTA, Dr Nirmal Dewasiri, the
ball is still on government's court and it is up to them to make the
play. "We have a broader agreement, what we need them to do is to
convert that in to a concrete action plan. The broader agreement is not
enough. For an example, if you take the increase in budgetary allocation
for education, there is a broader consent that more investment is
needed, but we need specific details," he says.
The government on policy conceded five of FUTA's demands and said
that the government is willing to work towards achieving 6% budgetary
allocation for higher education within next few years and also promised
to create a separate service for university academics (SLUAS). The rest
of the statements conceded to the de-politicization of the universities
and they also promised to protect the academic freedom of the teachers.
Conceding to FUTA's demands, the government also noted that when they
try to introduce changes to the higher education system those changes
will be executed after the consultation through participatory approach
with academics.
However, the government refused to concede to the twenty percent
salary increment of university academics saying that they are unable to
accept that demand since it may create many discrepancies and anomalies
in the national salary structure creating other repercussions.
The government press release further stated that during the last one
year period, the government has given them from 36% to 83% total salary
increases through various allowances and payments. Therefore it is
impossible for them to concede to that particular demand.
When quarried from FUTA on whether they are still withholding their
demand for 20% salary increase, Dewasiri commented, "They have agreed to
include the salary issue in the broader framework of establishing a
special category for academics. What we need is, if they do not agree to
it, please come up with their own alternative for our proposal, a kind
of interim proposal until a permanent solution or this special category
for academics is established."
However, irrespective of what FUTA says, the Ministry is under
impression that FUTA is fueled by underhand political motives. Dr. Sunil
Nawarathne from Ministry believes that the opposition is using FUTA as a
tool to achieve their own political agendas "It is obvious that
opposition cannot get power in next twenty years. There is only one way
to attack the government and that is to attack the education system, if
you attack education system then people's faith towards government
loses.
"There are lecturers who are against the strike, but they do not
raise their voice, they do not have a backbone to raise their voice.
University lecturers should be independent and not political biased,"
Dr. Sunil Nawarathne says.
However as FUTA president adamantly says, they are not politically
motivated and this broader agreement alone is not enough for them to put
an end to their current protest.
"The government has agreed in principle that university autonomy
should be a cornerstone of higher education. But mere acceptance of
university autonomy is not enough. It is already there in the act. It is
about addressing issues regarding certain circulars and the ministerial
interventions. The vice chancellor's appointments are being highly
politicized. All the vice chancellor's assignments are politically
appointed, the way they behave create lots of problems, we need a strong
understanding between the academics and vice chancellors for the proper
functioning of the university, those are the immediate measures that
need to be taken, Dr Dewasiri says.
However, as both parties throw one punch to the other and engage
themselves in a political masquerade, it is the students that suffer.
Talk with them and most seemed to be demented, haunted, confused and
frustrated about the dilemma which is being dragged for too long now.
Many feel that steps should be taken to ensure the quality of the
free education which is subjected to major threat in recent times due to
various forces. Sharing her thoughts with Punch a fourth year
undergraduate from Arts Faculty noted, "Some of the demands are in the
need of the hour since free education is in jeopardy more than any other
period in Sri Lankan history. But, it seems as if both parties work with
different political motives. They should not drag politics into this.
"It should be about protecting free education which enables students
of down-trodden masses to reach universities," |
