Response to concerned university teachers’ statement on SAITM

Following is a response by Private Medical College Parents’ Society President Dr. T.M.K.B. Tennakoon to the Daily FT article on 24 January titled ‘Concerned Uni teachers say no to President Committee’s ‘sunrise institution’ to replace SAITM,’ which calls for a Public Commission on Education:

The recent statements made by dons from universities such as Kelaniya, Sri Jayawardenapura, Peradeniya, Jaffna, Ruhuna and the Open University, etc., come as a complete surprise. I can only say that they have entirely misunderstood the objectives of setting up non-State education in medical university studies. 

The University Dons’ statements themselves were nothing short of laughable, one of them being that “The creation of a new fee-levying medical degree awarding institution will allow students, who would otherwise not be able to pursue a degree in medicine in Sri Lanka, to do so by paying for this privilege.”  They are absolutely right and this is the very reason why the setting up of a ‘sunrise’ institution is of absolute importance. 

What this ‘sunrise’ institution assures is that it would not be a profit-making organisation that complies with minimum standards for medical education and that it will not depend on any government funding for its existence and therefore, the statement made by the university professors which says inter alia that the ‘sunrise’ university “promotes siphoning of public funds earmarked for education toward subsidising education for the wealthy” is absurd and an attempt to completely mislead the public.

From about 1977, successive governments have promoted the private sector into enterprise which has gone into healthcare, like the building of hospitals and education, the setting up of colleges and universities. Privatisation of education is an old story, but whilst the private sector has made incursions into these areas, the Government still has State-sponsored universities and hospitals. There is no fear of these going away. However, here too the university dons appear to be pushing their anti-Government political agendas, as they say that this is the first Government to openly advocate the privatisation of education policy.

Seeing as SAITM was set up as an UGC-approved university during the previous regime this is again a malafide statement against the Government. Also, there have been private education in other disciplines such as engineering, accounting, marketing, IT, etc. in this country for years (long before this Government or even the previous Government came into power.)

They claim that the Government “overlooks the reality that the education system already privileges the wealthy; the proposals will allow those with means to obtain the much-coveted medical degree with less qualifications than those who would enter State institutions.” 

This statement too is completely misleading, because the reality is the other way round. The Z-score, is utterly unjust on students who are living in areas like Colombo, and suburbs who cannot all be termed ‘privileged and wealthy’. These students work hard to get high scores at their A/Level examinations but are discriminated against students who come from so-called underprivileged areas when it comes to university entrance.

We can use the word discrimination because the Z score itself looks like it is unconstitutional because the Constitution says “(h) the complete eradication of illiteracy and the assurance to all persons of the right to universal and equal access to education at all levels.” I am in total agreement with their statement that the education system must be democratised, which is the practice or principles of social equality. Yes, all students of this country, from whatever background they come, must be given the opportunity to study in the land of their birth. Yes, some of them may have opportunity and may be privileged because their parents have better earning capacity. If the present system of this standardisation of education at A Levels prevent students from getting into State universities, then they must have the option in the non-State sector. And that privilege, I believe, is enshrined in the Constitution.

Their saying that ‘we as a poor country do not have students who can pay for higher education. Such a privatised system of higher education can only be sustained with State subsidies, student loans and other public/private partnerships,’ borders on the ridiculous.

The rich do not depend on State education at all; they send their children to international schools which prepare them for overseas education. Therefore we do have students in this country who can afford to pay for higher education, although they are indeed few. Most of the students who do depend on the State education system from Colombo and suburban schools do not fall into this category and parents sometimes sell everything they own to send them for overseas education because the State education system cannot accommodate them.  

SLIIT’s ‘sunrise’ institution run on a not-for-profit formula is a perfect solution in this instance, as these students who most often score way more than the minimum standards set by the Z score system of university entrance would have a chance to get higher education in their own country at a cost less than half of what they would have to pay abroad.  

Therefore, this call to abandon the ‘sunrise’ institution that replaces SAITM is unjust and it is a great pity that this seems to be going over the heads of university professors who should be the very people to support the freedom of education in this country.