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| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
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Editorial |  |
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Please forward your comments to the
Editor, Sunday Observer. E-mail: [email protected] Snail mail : Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Telephone : 94 11 2429239 / 2331181 Fax : 94 11 2429230 Expanding tertiary education There is almost hundred percent agreement that our education system needs reforms. The system as it is structured today has been unable to produce the human capital the economy needs. On the other hand, the products of the system are found to be unfit for absorption into productive economic activity. The result has been massive unemployment and under-employment of educated youth both urban and rural. Successive governments have been absorbing them to the public sector over and above the required cadre. With the introduction of liberal economic policies the public sector has shrunk due to increasing divestures of state enterprises. Hence the option of employing a sizeable quantity of the unemployed in the public sector is no more a viable option. The fault lies not only in the education system. The economy has been stagnant or developing at a snail's pace. Since capital accumulation is insufficient due to low savings and ever increasing debt burdens the economy also calls for drastic changes in our development strategies. These are not maladies unique to Sri Lanka. They are common to many developing countries. Further policies adopted by many of them at the behest of multi-lateral financial institutions directing the global economy have failed to deliver the goods. Fresh thinking, fresh proposals and fresh strategies are required. Already few countries are pioneering such fresh strategies. They cannot, however, be copied en bloc. Each country has to chart its own course depending on its socio-economic and cultural-historical realities. Thus it becomes imperative that synergies of the people and its leaders should be harnessed in devising a strategy of development. The current debate on education reforms should also be viewed in this context. Patchwork solutions to aggravating problems would not suffice. It is time to take a holistic approach. There are certain self-evident truths. First is that educational opportunities, especially in the tertiary sector are inadequate. For example, the Universities could absorb only a little over 15 percent of those who qualify for admission. The rest are left in the lurch. Vocational education institutes both state and private could absorb few of them. Second, privatisation is no panacea for the ills of education. It could be worse if no quality assurances are maintained. Further, the private sector more interested in getting maximum profit may not risk huge capital outlays required for investing in education. Third, the state also has no funds to cater to the demand for tertiary education. Fourth, the state, however, has a basic duty by the people to guarantee right to education. It cannot wash its hands off whatever the reason. The best possible course of action would be to agree by consensus the areas that could be undertaken by the state and areas that could be undertaken by the private sector. Already the private sector has undertaken certain responsibilities in this sphere. It is also necessary to address the grievances and apprehensions of the students on possible privatisation of education rather than dismissing them as scandalous heresy. Perhaps they have legitimate fears arising from earlier practice in other fields like transport when the state sector establishments were left to rot after the entry of private operators. It is the duty of the state to ensure the maintenance of high standards at all educational institutions and perhaps conduct unified examinations for all disciplines under a statutory authority. It should also ensure that no opportunities are shut for deserving students for want of money. A wide system of scholarships and bursaries should be put in place to help the economically less privileged sections of the student community. There should also be a system of multiple entries at Universities. While those who get higher marks qualify for direct admission after the Advanced Level Examination others could enter the University after vocational qualifications and work experience to complement their practical knowledge with theoretical knowledge. Moreover, the curricula and course contents at tertiary education institutions should equal that of the best in the world. New methods like modular course units, flexible time frames, inter-disciplinary research and more practice orientation should be considered. All these require a wide dialogue and consensus among academics, students, parents, educationists and industry leaders. Reforms should not only be made in earnest, they must be democratically introduced. The present system of learning by rote found even in the Universities should be done away with. The Universities should not become glorified tuition factories. Students should be encouraged to learn by themselves through research with the assistance of the teaching staff. This would also require an attitudinal change among the student community. Most of them seem to be studying only for the sake of paper qualifications. Expanding education by itself would not be sufficient. There should be an expansion in the economy. The two processes should be conducted in tandem. |
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