Tuesday, 7 October 2014 01:34
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SCENES of Sabaragamuwa students being pelted with water cannons as they protested against the presence of Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake at a hostel building opening was watched by thousands of bemused people on Sunday. It was perhaps the strongest indication yet that the incredibly complex problems of this contentious sector are still very much bubbling.
Dissanayake true to character told those gathered at the ceremony held amidst a student boycott, the hundreds of protestors have less significance than “ants”. He also insisted the only thing staying the heavy hand of the Government was upcoming elections as otherwise he knew well how to “salakanna” these youth. It was a speech that embodied all that is wrong with the stubborn, closed door policies of the Government that is pushing reconciliation through open discussion further and further away.
Despite all his bravado though, Dissanayake chose to avoid the protestors during his exit, leaving disgruntled student leaders to vent their frustrations by ranting at assembled media. They highlighted the gradual reduction of Budget funds, politicisation, haphazard introduction of private universities and lack of financial accountability as the many problems faced, but perhaps the most poignant woe is the Government has firmly stopped listening.
The little episode articulated clearly the impasse reached when both parties are unwilling to listen and compromise. It is no surprise therefore that the higher education sector always looks as if it is lurching from one disaster to the next. The day ended with the Sabaragamuwa University being closed indefinitely.
University teachers remain largely dissatisfied after the 2012 agreement was disregarded by the Government, with an indefinite strike forever brooding on the horizon. With the Government keen to promote private universities but avoid troublesome standoffs with student unions and dons, it is likely that it will rush through with crucial legislation that should empower the public higher education system and regularise their private counterparts.
Lack of transparent discussions and growing concerns over corruption will also make stakeholders insecure about the direction of the country’s higher education sector. The recent rolling up of a commission headed by Higher Education Minister’s son to provide accreditation to private degree awarding institutions is a case in point. It overlooked enforcement of standards, causing much consternation, especially among the medical fraternity.
Students, tired of being caught between a rock and a hard place, would probably welcome the option of getting an accredited degree at home. But without proper monitoring and standardisation, the hard-earned money of their parents could be wasted.
On a larger level, Sri Lanka needs technology and knowledge transfer to foster economic growth. On the surface, that seems like an argument for private universities, but knowledge needs to be matched with intelligent minds; at present the best crop is funnelled to public universities. The fear that State universities will become the destination for poor students while their richer colleagues opt for private universities should not be allowed to become reality. The ideal of universal higher education opportunities must be upheld.
In such a morass of challenges, it is imperative the university system is guided on the ideals of fairness and equality, but past experiences do not bode well for the future. The Government continues to dole out small allocations for the education sector and has basically laid the foundation for yet another standoff with university teachers and students that bodes ill for everyone.
