Click Here to Get the Online Article in Ceylon Today 07-15-12
Undoubtedly we can categorize a number of Sri Lankan universities as few of the worlds’ best universities. One of my colleague expressed "We are the undergraduate of state universities and we are proud to be so." Yes, indeed we should be proud if we are studying in our own local universities. We know the actual value lies in the free education and high quality standards.
It's not a joke to be selected to a high profile University such as University of Colombo and Jayawardanapura—The hub of smart business leaders, University of Moratuwa—Hub of genius engineers and University of Peradeniya—The hub of biologists.
In general, the number of total students who sit for the A/L exam is around 200,000. Among them nearly 20,000 students are selected for the state universities. That means, only 10% of students from those who sit for A/Ls are selected. The percentage of those who go to universities from the students who enter for school education is only 2%. This highly competitive structure selects the genius amongst best students from all around Sri Lanka.
"Most of us are from outstation schools and we know that if there was no free education, we will never get an opportunity to be called as ‘graduates’. Being selected to a university was a dream come true for all of us and our families. All of us believed that being selected to a State University is the ultimate achievement in our educational career. In fact, university was a world of knowledge, world of new people, a world of experience and a world of new opportunities for us," added another colleague emotionally.
Thoughts of a student
I met a bunch of final year students who have spent almost three and half years, with loads of hopes and dreams, expecting to pass out by this September, which will indeed shape up their future as they want. "Our seniors and some of our lecturers are being very informative about what we can do and what we have to do after successfully completing our bachelor degrees. Even though it is a world of opportunities outside, there are yet constant strikes in State Universities that have wiped out our hopes of our future."
As we know, strikes in universities is a common issue, this has been addressed at the highest status in our country. Whatever the reason that lies underneath, may be an ongoing political strike process that have obviously extended the period of time of degrees, and so it has cut down the right to education continuously.
"By postponing our mid and final year exams with no due dates, is crucial for final year students. We would miss all the opportunities we have to apply for post graduate studies, foreign scholarships and also to face certain competitive exams by the government. We have to waste one more year of our lives to apply for the same opportunity. Also, for some valuable scholarships, we can only apply after completing our degrees, but not with pending results."
Foreign universities
Most of them are above 24 years, if we look at a foreign university, students of the same age may have finished their Masters or Phd's. The first main problem is the ‘the time gap’ between facing A/L exams, waiting for the results, and the time taken to get the entry pass to the university, approximately spending a year of time of their valuable youth life. Simply, this one year is sufficient to finish at least two diplomas or a Masters degree in a private sector, the second main problem is, spending more time to complete a degree, because of all these strikes.
"Concentrating on the academic strikes going on, as students we don’t believe it is ethical. No one can ever justify holding a strike while discussions are going on. Also, no one can justify holding a massive strike after four working days of another massive strike by non-academics. Above all, it is completely unethical to hold this type of a strike after the government’s decision to increase salaries for lecturers, which was a primary demand of Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA).
Now FUTA says, this salary increment has caused discrimination among lectures. FUTA has just demanded for a 20% increment for all. But, the government has provided 74% for senior professors, 58% for senior lecturers, 36% for probationary lecturers.
As students we are really happy to hear this increment. Also, we would appreciate if the government can allocate 6% of the GDP for education. But all these demanding should be done, in a form that students will not be kept in dark. Honestly, there are some lecturers who truly want to teach us, because they really care for the students, but they are also forced not to. It is clear that there are some key personals behind this strike.
Because of them, this strike has politically motivated and paid by the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), to destabilize the entire state university system. While making chaos for free education by them, it is hilarious to see one of FUTA’s demands as to have a ‘clear government policy on free education’. As students, we also want to see an improvement in the university system. In fact, if the quality of the entire system can be improved, both academic and non academic staff would serve students in a better way.
The ultimate duty
Of course, the ultimate service and duty of the staff of a university is to serve the students. But because of these unethical strikes, FUTA breaks this primary duty. As we understand, this is an attempt to hold an ‘Arab spring’ in state universities since all these are intentionally conducted strikes. Continuous strikes destabilize state university system, and to make a bad impression about universities. Universities had being the liberal body in this country, but now that liberalism is challenged.
The students kindly request all the lecturers for the sake of the free education, please be kind and brave enough to do their duty, without being a shield for anyone. "We assure you would be able to win your rights, in the day you complete your duties and responsibilities," concluded a student.
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