News
|
||||
Varsity
students warn of stern action "If there is no response to our demand by Friday, a series of protests would be started which all university students would join," W. Kasthuri, Colombo University Students' Union president, told The Sunday Times The student unions also want to meet Deputy Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Ministry Secretary Dr. Tara de Mel and University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. B.R.R.N. Mendis. The issues the students want addressed are the granting of degree-awarding status to private institutions, liberalising of A/L subjects and delinking the A/L from university admission. Aquinas College, Oasis Hospital and SLII are in the process of obtaining degree-awarding status in the subjects of arts, medicine and engineering respectively, The Sunday Times learns. However an Education Ministry official told The Sunday Times the proposals are put forward with the intention of doing justice to the remaining percentage of students who do not gain university admission. However, university student unions are of the view that a large part of the remaining percentage is so poor they would not be given any relief. "Once these institutes become private universities their facilities will increase so they would be more attractive than national universities. Then the Government would start privatising the national universities as well. When all the universities become privatised how can the underprivileged get higher education?" a university union representative asked. However Prof. Mendis told The Sunday Times that the institutes are not to be elevated to university rank. "For example, Aquinas still remains a college of higher studies. According to the 1978 university act, the UGC is empowered to grant degree awarding status to any institute which requests it," he said. "This act was passed during the UNP regime with the aim of privatisation. However, officials can't use the law as they want. Even the Executive Presidency has powers which a holder doesn't exercise. Top education officials have been trying to do these things for a long time, but failed due to strong protests. This time too they will fail," a student union leader said. Higher National Diploma in Engineering (HNDE) students' association secretary Aravinda Wanninayake said top education officials are playing a double game. "For example, Prof. Mendis says privatisation will be done when Deputy Minister Dinesh Gunawardena speaks of privatisation in Parliament. To the media Prof. Mendis paints a different picture and says the matter is temporarily held up. To the students he says privatisation is not going to take place. Other top officials also speak in a similar way," he said. On the liberalising of A/L subjects, it intended to allow Advanced Level students to sit for two compulsory subjects while they can select an optional subject. For instance, a candidate, who sits the A/L exam in the science stream, can select a subject such as dancing, if he wishes. According to Education Ministry sources this move is intended to create more versatile personalities. However, giving effect to the proposal is reported to have been temporary held up due to mounting protests. The sources said the proposal was to be implemented during the tenure of the last PA government, but was held up then also due to protests. Under the process of delinking the A/L exam from university admissions, the exam will only be a qualifying one for university entrance purposes. According to Education Ministry project proposals, the relevant universities may impose additional requirements for selections to particular courses of study. The common general paper will be viewed as a university entrance examination requisite, with the marks given for such a paper increased. In addition the students are to be interviewed by the deans of the relevant faculties. However, the IUSF is of the belief there are more chances of irregularities occurring if this new system is implemented. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
