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 Open University celebrates 30th anniversary:
Education is anybody’s right
by Nilma Dole
Education is a human right and
it’s imperative that we see to it that not only we, but others have
similar opportunities of education as us. It is with the aim of
providing higher educational opportunities to working adults
irrespective of status, age, vocation, gender, race, ethnicity or
religion that the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) was set up.
The University was set up by the Government of Sri Lanka under the
Universities Act No. 16 of 1978, for this purpose and it has grown from
strength to strength offering better courses at an optimum standard.
“It is good to know that as Sri Lankans, we place emphasis on a good
education system and spend plenty of money for it”, said Prof. Upali
Vidanapathirana, the Vice Chancellor of the University. He added,
“However, we should be wary if we are to get into debt and mortgage our
property by sending our children abroad for higher studies. What I
advise them is not to spend so much when in fact, you can get a high
standard of education here in Sri Lanka and keeping it in our country
without draining our economy.”
 The Open University of Sri Lanka was set up on June 22, 1980 and used
the British Open University as a model. “For the past 30 years, we have
focused our attention on a bigger student intake, scope of education and
scholarship and a variety of programs offered”, said the VC.
By focusing on an “open” type of education policy, the University
provides one of the comprehensive online distance learning programs in
the world. The concept of Distance Education makes the OUSL a
“University without walls” where students can work and have a family
life within the flexible course frame.
They can interact with specially designed self-instructional
materials where the materials function as “Tutor in Print”. In this way,
the OUSL system provides the learner the best possible learning
opportunities for them to balance their personal, work related and
academic obligations.
“The standard of our online distance learning program is such that
even international students have expressed interest in joining the
courses” said Prof.Vidanapathirana. The biggest benefit of the Open
University is the fact that education is very reasonably priced and even
though it might be expensive than the traditional university, it is
cheaper compared to the international institutes mushrooming in the
city.
 “A student can do the same law entrance exam for a fraction of the
cost at the Open University compared to the bigger institutions around
Colombo” said the VC. He said, “We have six major regions where we have
set up Open University branches including Matara, Jaffna, Batticaloa,
Kandy, Anuradhapura and Colombo. In total, we have 24 teaching and study
centres islandwide offering 61 study courses on offer with more than
2,500 students enrolled.”
The OUSL has a good teaching methodology where 30 percent is
theoretical and 70 percent practical using technological facilities such
as computers and interactive media. The OUSL also takes pride in their
highly-qualified and experienced staff and its faculties include
Education, Engineering Technology, Humanities and Social Science and
Natural Sciences.
“Our lecturer panel is trained according to standards laid down by
the University Grants Commission and we have visiting lecturers from
other universities including those from the employment sector to give a
well-balanced teaching service to the students” said the VC. In
addition, he said, “We believe in not just dictating to students but
interacting and explaining lectures in an interesting manner.
Moreover, students can always challenge and question the facts in
books so that we can update our material if new inventions are made.”
The Open University was the first in Sri Lanka to have a fully-equipped
and functional Mechatronics laboratory that gave students the advantage
of studying technologically new courses which are renowned
internationally.
  Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of Mechanical
Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Control
Engineering, and Systems Design Engineering to create, design, and
manufacture useful products. The term mechatronics is defined as a
multi-disciplinary engineering system design, that is to say it rejects
splitting engineering into separate disciplines.
Also, the Industrial Training course was introduced for the first
time in Sri Lanka making it one of the technologically innovative study
courses in this region.
Hence, the OUSL is one of the best choices to gain qualifications,
competitive advantage in the employment sector and achieve your career
dreams in a cost effective and efficient manner.
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