FUTA, holding the young to ransom

It was only one year back my son passed out from the University of Colombo. During the four year stay it was observed very clearly that most of the lecturers were “making hay while the sun shines,”. Others were receiving salaries while being very indifferent to their duties and a few of them were performing their duties with a conscience.

Some of the unscrupulous actions that take place at this esteemed university are as follows:

Free education

Absenteeism - students arrive at the lecture hall but the lecturer is missing. Some are noted absentees. With the hope of the lecturer arriving even late for the lecture the students remain in the classroom. Thus wasting the valuable time of the students and encouraging them to idle. Since the undergraduates who attend the government universities are ones who have excelled in studies in their respective schools the opportunity cost of learning in this manner is very high. These students, who have the capacity and the commitment to study, don't have the opportunity to exploit their potential.

Low standards of lecturing - most of the lecturers walk into the classroom unprepared. This is because they are far too busy attending to their commitments in other universities and accomplishing assignments undertaken from various organizations. As the undergraduates at state run universities receive free education and as for the lecturers, they receive their salaries whether they work or not, priority is given to the private institutions because the pressure coming from them is greater.

Misuse of university property - for some lecturers it is the venue to conduct their private tuition classes. In such a case, are the resources of the university used for the benefit of the undergraduates of the university or are they fulfilling the ‘greed for money'? This is the outcome of lecturers not being given sufficient duties to perform.

They earn a quick buck from their idle time. If this time is utilized for educating the undergraduates, what an asset it will be for the future of the children and the country.

Stated above are just a few of the malfunctions which occur in one university to unleash the love they have for the education system which they articulate very clearly in the present situation.

Lack of proper supervision and evaluation of lecturers has resulted with low quality degrees conferred from one of the most recognized universities in Asia.

Code of ethics

In the 1940s a graduate who passed out from the state university was a pride to the nation. But today, the lecturers have brought it down to a mere piece of paper.

As an educationist and a graduate I feel this is the best opportunity to put all these to order. To ensure that whatever amount allocated at present for the university education must be used in the interest of the undergraduates. The first lesson the lecturers should be taught is to increase their output with the given resources. There will have to a be a well formed code of ethics which they will have to adhere to. The right action would be to give the golden hand shake to those corrupt crooks who are instrumental in a criminal acts, such as holding the children's education as hostage to reach their personal gains.

Legal action

It is a crime against university education. They have put the university education to a halt? Further they have doomed the future of the youth in the country. They have taken advantage of the helpless situation of the undergraduates. Who is shielding these criminals? Who is responsible for the young lives that are shattered?

It is time to take legal action for the damages already caused and wipe out crime in the education sector in the years to come. Today crime is high because due punishment is not given. Likewise they will make use of innocent students to achieve other objectives too. I make an appeal to the authorities to take immediate action to eradicate this menace from the education system.

According to Alec Bourne ‘It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated.’

- A disappointed parent