Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Clash of the educated
At present there is much debate and protest about the ‘privatisation of universities’. Would the proposed system mean a loss to free education, or would it widen students’ opportunities? Vidushi Seneviratne finds out more

“Were I not a king, I would be a university man,” said King James I. Living in present times, I wouldn’t be too sure about that…

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In the never-ending series of issues faced by local universities, the latest episode has been the matter regarding the privatisation of universities. With various parties explaining the issue, the main problem seems to be society’s lack of knowledge as to what exactly the issue is. Processions, strikes and ignorance apart, the end result left thousands of university students stranded, with most universities reopening last week after a closure which lasted a couple of weeks.

A ‘private’ issue
So, what really is the issue? “I don’t even agree with the phrase “privatisation of universities” being used when discussing this matter, since none of the local universities are going to be privatised,” says Prof. Sarath Amunugama, Dean, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya. “Certain institutions with an accepted standard will be given degree-awarding status by the U.G.C., which is the body empowered to do so. The progress of these institutions will be continuously monitored by the U.G.C., and this will obviously ensure a high standard.” He went on to say that such institutions would pose no threat to the state universities. “This would create an opportunity for more students to receive a sound education, and I see this as a good thing. Of course nothing must be taken away from the state universities, in order to accommodate these private institutions,” he added.

“We must accept that the situation in the local universities has many drawbacks. It’s an obvious fact that more female students attend universities, as most of the male students opt for employment. So steps have to be taken to ensure that the quality of the local universities is made better,” says a senior academic at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya. “But in the mean time, there is no harm in entertaining other institutions as well. This will only allow more students to receive an education, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

Mindset
Attitudes and mindset seem to be one of the main issues causing the controversy, with most individuals refusing to budge from their personal standpoint. “As citizens, most of us expect something from the state, especially benefits regarding basic needs. Education is one such subject where the state is expected to deliver and this has produced the mentality regarding free education,” says a lecturer of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Colombo. “With regard to the issue of private institutions being set up, I feel that as long as nothing is compromised with regard to the state universities, and the public and private systems are in co-existence, there really shouldn’t be a problem. This would at least save the state the money that is currently being sent out of the country, through our local students studying in foreign universities.

Rajeev Amarasuriya, visiting lecturer, Law Faculty, University of Colombo, agrees: “Being a graduate of the Law Faculty myself, I can quite confidently say that the degree available here is on par with any other in the world. But students losing the chance of entering state universities should have a choice. The setting up of private institutions would benefit the country economically as well, since we save the money going out,” he says. He also added that just increasing the amount of degrees itself is not the answer to everything. “We need to identify the areas which need the most amount of qualified individuals, such as psychology for instance, so that we can cater to the most essential aspects of the country’s development. Producing either too many or too little graduates in a certain subject would not benefit the country.”

Student voice
So what really is the argument against private institutions being awarded this status? “The poor man will lose out both ways. He is left stranded both by missing entrance into a state university, as well as not being able to study at a private institution, because of the money factor,” claims a representative of the Inter University Students’ Federation, at a recent procession held against the privatisation of universities. “This method of giving degree-awarding status to certain institutions will totally take away the notion of free education and we will not stand for it. We will continue our protest regarding this matter until the government promises to put a stop to it,” he stated. The Inter University Students’ Federation recently handed over a memorandum stating reasons for their opposition to the setting up of such institutions, to the Chairman of the U.G.C.

“I’m totally against the privatisation of the existing state universities. Free education opened the doors for the underprivileged to be educated, and that shouldn’t be restricted,” says Asela Serasinghe, a third year student at the Sri Lanka Law College. “I’m not against private universities existing parallel to the state-owned ones. But it’s important that these private institutions are owned by local individuals or establishments.”

Quality matters
Presenting another rationale to this issue, is an undergraduate at the Arts Faculty of the University of Colombo. “Though the U.G.C. has the provision to give certain courses a degree-awarding status, we need to consider many other aspects too. Who decides on the quality of these degrees and who sets the standard? Will there be a limit to the number of institutions awarding degrees? These are issues that need to be looked into with the utmost care, if this system is to work,” says Sisira Saddhamangala Withanarachchi, a student specialising in Political Science and Public Policy.

“Another obvious problem would be the corruption this system could involve as time goes by. There might be problems like the state universities losing out on lecturers and other resources, due to the money factor involved in these private institutions. But it’s important that the government is considering having an option for students who miss out on state universities.”

There is also a large faction of the student community who is in total agreement with this system. Since it ensures a majority to receive an accepted degree, they see it as a positive move by the state. Most of these students feel that if someone wants to pay and receive a degree, which comes under the purview of a national body, they should be allowed to.

“I am totally for the privatisation of universities, simply for the reason that it gives a large number of students an option to obtain a recognised degree,” says Irshad Hameed, an undergraduate of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya. “Only four percent of the student population qualify to enter state universities, so what happens to the rest? The fundamentals of the famous Sri Lankan educationalist C. W. W. Kannangara was to educate the most number of individuals possible, which makes this proposed measure perfectly justifiable. By setting up such private institutions, we can cut down on the brain drain that continues to happen due to our students going abroad to obtain degrees.”

Restructure
“My opinion is that the problem lies within the core structure of our education system, not anything else. It doesn’t matter if there are private universities and that some students may opt to study there. If there are less students in the state universities, it’s all the better, since it would ease the burden on the country’s economy and possibly also enable the government to offer better facilities for the remaining students,” says Kimaya de Soyza, a student at the Open University. “Who knows? If the entire education structure is revamped to better suit the employment opportunities available out there, students may not have to leave the country or the universities in search of a more consistent and effective education system.”

Agreeing with these sentiments, is yet another student of law, who feels that the country is losing out terribly, as a result of the number of students studying abroad. “If the option is there, students who miss out on the state universities can stay in their own country and receive a degree of a high standard. This way the state benefits too,” says Tarini Wijeratne. “Of the hundred and twenty girls in my grade at school, over sixty are studying abroad and that’s a lot of money! If this system runs parallel to the state universities, it will surely benefit the country in every way.”

The answer to the issue? Does the state give in to the opinion of a limited number of students or go ahead and introduce the new system? The answer my friend, as they say, is blowing in the wind…

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