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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Unemployed graduates by Professor Ranjit Ruberu, Emeritus Professor of Education, University of Colombo At one time, universities in Sri Lanka were reputed to be model
institutions of higher education even emulated by many countries in the
developing world. However, the situation has declined to such The time is opportune therefore, to probe the causative factors for the creation of such situation in the universities and find measures to prevent further decline of this crisis. It is not difficult to do so, if only genuine, impartial and dispassionate reasoning goes in to the probe. Such exercise only could promote bringing back the desired sanity to these institutions. Analytical inquiry into the recent indisciplinary activities of some of the university students reveal the prevalence of many causative factors that can be responsible for such student behaviour, among which, student frustration appears to be the most significant. Student frustration as it is evident among Sri Lankan students today apparently begins from the time of school education and continues even after leaving school. A majority of youths after leaving school experience hardships that cause them to defy the normally accepted behaviour and alienate themselves from the society they live. Such behaviour is expressed in the form of anti-social activities, discontent, and restlessness that are some features of youth unrest in the country today. The proportion of students who get admitted to the universities and other higher education institutions is well below twenty percent of the youth population. The remaining eighty percent or even more leave school with no planned programme of activity and are more or less left in the learch. They become a burden to the parents many of whom are also not in a position to maintain them as dependents. This group of educated, unemployed or unemployable youths unless they are guided and led on the correct path of social behaviour, become members of society who are more of a liability and even a threat to society at times. They acquire a disappointed attitude to life activities as well and tend to seek solace in misdemeanour generally expressed in the form of retaliation to the generally accepted social norms. The students who enter the universities and other tertiary educational institutions are generally regarded to be more capable than average school leavers and as having the desire to get maximum benefit from their duration. They have the ambition to be recognised as successful members of the society to which they belong. Any cause that makes such achievement difficult or unattainable leads to disappointment and frustration. The authorities responsible for higher education therefore have to make appropriate avenues available to them for achieving their objectives. Apparently this is not happening in adequate manner and students become disposed to anti social behaviour. When student behaviour patterns are considered, it is possible to discover the causative factors that have become responsible for such a situation. The removal of such causes will be an important step to be taken as a remedy. Indispensable requirement Generally, less than ten percent of the applicants who have passed the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination succeed in getting selected to universities and other tertiary institutions. The rejected ninety percent of students who possess the required qualifications for receiving higher education and having the right to receive such education become the first group of frustrated youths who have no prospects for further education. Getting absorbed into an idle group of adolescent unemployed youths they are liable to become a threat to peace and tranquillity of society. The provision of adequate facilities appropriate to their needs deserve the attention of the authorities concerned. Apparently, deliberate efforts are not made in such direction and the majority of school leavers remain a rejected group of youths prone to get involved in mischief. Until recent past, university graduates held such a position of eminence in society, that the parents were inclined to think university education as an indispensable requirement for better prospects of employment and social upliftment. However, the situation shows signs of change with a developing disfavour for university education for the simple reason that university graduates themselves are experiencing difficulty in finding employment readily. The unemployment of university graduates as well as their bleak future are the causes for such change in the attitude of parents. Currently over 30,000 university graduates remain unemployed and their numbers are increasing with the production of more and more graduates every year by the many universities in the country. In addition, a significant number of graduates returning from universities abroad also get added to this number regularly resulting in an explosion of university graduates many of whom remain unemployable or unemployed. The existence of such numbers of educated unemployed youth in the country could escalate student unrest unless appropriate action is taken to reduce their numbers. One reason for the prevalence of unemployed graduates is that the university education they had received happens to be inappropriate for the needs of the employment market. Unfortunately there is no evidence of serious attempts being made to find out the causes for these university graduates to be unemployed even after their receiving three to four years of university education. Yet, national education planners continue to provide education to youths paying no attention to the appropriateness of what education is being provided. Tertiary education in Sri Lanka continues to be mainly on the traditional pattern with only little or no change in its content and method. Students who are compelled under the prevailing conditions to pursue tertiary education at the termination of school education find themselves misfits to the changing needs. The time is appropriate now, to reconsider the aims and objectives of tertiary education in a more realistic manner taking into account the emerging national employment needs in particular. Tertiary level students when they realize that the education they have received is not profitable and even futile, get disappointed rendering themselves worthless to society. A re-assessment of tertiary education facilities that is being provided, followed by suitable changes become necessary as a remedy to arrest student unrest evident today. The clamour for the expansion of university education in recent years has resulted in a proliferation of universities in the country. Besides the Open University that caters for a wide population of students, there are twelve or more other universities as well as university level institutions collectively enroling well over 12,000 students every year. On the basis of population numbers and in comparison to many countries elsewhere, this increased number of university level institutions could be justified. It could also be possible to assert that Sri Lanka lags behind in the supply of universities in comparison to many countries of the region. Yet, the fact remains that the Country cannot afford to finance the supply of a free university education to an adequate level without rendering them mere nominal institutions not being able to provide the bare minimum of facilities to students attending them. Such students being an under provided lot, become amenable to student unrest. Sri Lanka cannot maintain more and more universities although myopic politicians very often think otherwise. Inadequately provided university and higher education could generate student unrest that now has become a serious problem. These inadequacies could be the dearth of qualified staff, as well as shortages in the provision of physical facilities by way of buildings, equipment and student amenities. Relieving these short comings deserve the attention of the authorities concerned. Student unrest in universities and other tertiary education institutions cannot be allowed to prevail in the interest of peace and harmony. The quality improvement in these institutions is therefore a priority to be taken into account by the higher education authorities in the country. One apparent cause for student un-rest in universities in particular, appears to be political interference happening from time to time. University undergraduates, as adults who get involved in political controversies in the country, are easily subjected to political maneuverability that causes student unrest University students generally accept membership in rival political parties and unscrupulous politicians get such students for party political activities resulting in student strikes, boycotting of classes, disorder and chaos. Student unrest in the universities and tertiary institutions as it happened in the past, always had some political backing and the involvement of politicians. Until such time that political interference in student affairs is curtailed, and eliminated, student unrest in these institutions would prevail. It is right time that politicians themselves get enlightened on this situation and make some effort to arrest such happenings rather than promoting student uprisings in the tertiary institutions. Political meddling Political interference is evident in every level of university administration and management. Political meddling with university administration and university affairs has become a common happening these days. Politically backed individuals getting in to the administration very often depriving the more qualified and more suitable applicants who do not have the political putsch does erode any independent and impartial administration that is essential for the smooth functioning of these establishments. Incidents are not rare where politicians have openly supported or rejected candidates for university appointments. Under such circumstances university administration generally accepted to be independent and autonomous has become helpless. They can no longer function impartially or independently and become agencies dictated to by vested interests. The removal of the Vice-Chancellor of the Jayewardenepura University some time back for politically motivated reasons became a controversial issue of national importance. It was considered to be il-legal and a violation of the University Act itself. The legitimate procedure for the removal of a vice-chancellor of a university required the prior approval of the University Grants Committee by a majority vote to effect such removal. It was later reported that "some of the Commission members came to know of the removal only after media reports". Whoever is responsible for the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, has acted in an arbitrary manner ignoring the jurisdiction of the University Grants Commission which is considered to be the only authority having the responsibility for such action. This has undermined the authority of the Grants Commission and at the same time university autonomy challenged. Student unrest if allowed to continue uninterrupted could become a national calamity of serious magnitude and harmful consequences. The damaging repercussions of such crisis can be felt in public life and the social set up as well in the country. Student unrest should therefore be prevented by providing alternative avenues of free expression for student behaviour, channelled in the right direction. This is a responsibility of the educators, more enlightened adults, and other elders associating the youths. |
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extent that
one Vice-Chancellor recently admitted that discipline in universities
"has reached the lowest ebb" with student unrest, mob-violence
and outside elements taking part in the mayhem.
