Professors should get Rs. 4 lakhs; lecturers Rs. 2 lakhs - S.B. Dissanayake

*Original stance maintained

* No Treasury funding

*Extra earnings should be through research,consultancy

By Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said the present move taken by university dons would pave the way to extremist student groups attached to the JVP to once again grab power in universities and ruin the university system. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said after 1985, the Government has been able to vest the administration of universities to Vice Chancellors, Deans, Heads of the Departments and the Senate.

According to the Minister, ragging in universities has been reduced by 85 percent. At present there is no room for students to engage in any unlawful activities. He maintains the view that the salary of a junior lecturer should be raised to at least Rs. 200,000 while the salary of a professor should be raised to Rs. 400,000. However, he said this cannot be done by getting funds from the Treasury. He stressed the importance of university dons conduct researches and earning money which lecturers in universities worldwide are doing today.

Q: How do you view the demand made by university lecturers and professors for a pay hike?

A: During the previous budget,the teachers’ association which conducted extensive discussions with us requested us to give a 40 percent pay hike. At the same time, public sector employees also demanded a Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 pay hike. However, public sector employees got only a five percent pay hike, but University lecturers were given a 36.25 percent pay hike.

After they were given this raise the teachers’ association thanked me and the Finance Ministry Secretary. Now they have changed their stance and are demanding a 200 percent pay hike. Even President Mahinda Rajapaksa queried as to how such a situation arose. Because these university dons are the most educated people in the country.

Even when lecturers and professors were given the pay hike, public servants remained silent. At the previous budget, the salary of a Ministry secretary was increased by only Rs. 2,800, but salaries of senior professors were increased by Rs. 24,000. An executive officer in the public sector got only a Rs. 1,500 pay hike.

However, the salary of a probationary lecturer was increased by Rs. 12,000. It is public servants who should be raising a hue and a cry. Will public servants remain silent when another pay hike is given to these university dons? They will definitely demand a pay hike.

The demand of a 200 percent pay hike by dons is a very tragic situation. The day prior to the Local Government election, they conducted a token strike by demanding this pay hike. Why did they launch this token strike a day prior to the Local Government polls.

All the key figures who were involved in this process are against this Government, the President and the humanitarian mission conducted in the North. In my view, this is a conspiracy to destabilise the country. The University Grants Commission (UGC) says that this decision taken by the university dons is illegal. According to the UGC, the Head of the Department of a university is not a voluntary designation. It is an official appointment made by the council. If any head of department wants to resign from that post, the council should be informed three months earlier, otherwise they cannot resign with immediate effect. If the Heads of departments resign in this manner,these institutions will collapse. At present steps are being taken to recruit new students, change courses and their languages. We have planned to make massive changes in the university system. Due to the discussions held by the President with the World Bank, the Ministry had to give 197 scholarships to lecturers to do their PHDs.

Q: Is there any outside infiltration to universities?

A: At present the Darusman Report has been released. Once it was released, the TNA welcomed it. Instead of rejecting the report, the UNP started to make various allegations against the Government. The JVP while pointing out mistakes also began to make accusations against the Government.

When we analyse the incidents taking place in Iraq, Libya and Egypt, it is very clear that there is a certain section attempting to interfere in our country. That is why they put forward this proposal to the UN Security Council. But it was rejected due to the opposition made by Russia. If the report was accepted by the Security Council, they would have sent a team of experts to Sri Lanka creating a very similar situation like what happened in Iraq.

Since the inception, the Director General of the UN Human Rights Council Naveethan Pillai acted in favour of the LTTE. What she says now is to put this proposal again to the UN Human Rights Council.

This means they are once again attempting to take a decision to recommend some strategies against our country. Therefore the creation of a crisis situation within the country will be very advantageous towards these attempts. University lecturers and professors have originated the crisis in the country. If this trend continues, the non-academic staff and university students will also get dragged into this issue.

During the past 30 years, it was students who governed universities not Vice Chancellors, Senate or university dons. It was the students who decided on the day-to-day activities of universities and admission of students to hostels. After 1985, the Senate was not able to go beyond these ad hoc decisions taken by students. Students had taken control of university administration by force.

After I assumed office as the Higher Education Minister, I changed all that in universities. I could put an end to unbridled power exercised by university students and punish them by suspending classes. Once they accepted their mistake, they were taken back to universities. After 1985, the administration of universities has been vested in the Vice Chancellors, deans, Heads of Departments and the Senate. Today there is no room for students to engage in any stubborn or wilful activities. We have been able to reduce ragging in universities by 85 percent. If the prevailing atmosphere in universities is disrupted, again the extremist student groups attached to the JVP will grab power. This would lead to deteriorate the university system.

Therefore this move taken by university lecturers and professors would pave the way for extremist student groups to retain power in universities and ruin the entire university system. Finally it would lead to a crisis within the entire state sector. The motive behind this is to create a crisis in the country.

Q: Though you say that the Ministry has given a pay hike of 36.25 percent, Dons contradict it on the basis that 25 percent of the increase is given as a mere research allowance. Your comments?

A: Of the total pay hike of 36.25 percent given to university dons, 25 percent has been given as a research allowance. At present nearly 25 percent of university lecturers are not doing anything in universities. There are some lecturers who just give lectures by reading notes. That is why 25 percent of this pay hike has been reserved as a research allowance. It was university lecturers and professors who proposed to give 25 percent of this pay hike as a research allowance to lecturers to encourage them to conduct research.

After obtaining an approval from the dean, lecturers can submit their research papers. The lecturers of the Colombo and Sri Jayewardenepura universities have begin to submit research papers. The President has already reserved Rs. 500 million to pay this research allowance.

We need only Rs. 369 million to pay this research allowance to all lecturers in universities. We have already allocated money to all universities to pay this research allowance. Therefore I categorically deny the statements made by some lecturers that the Ministry does not have money to pay this research allowance. Even after this research allowance is paid, we have a balance of Rs.131 million. Normally universities conduct nearly 80 percent of research activities and consultancy services. Therefore lecturers can easily get this research allowance as we have already allocated money to all universities. Lecturers who have continuously engaged in research, make publications and print books and can easily get this research allowance, while others can get it after submitting a research paper.

Universities should prepare to get this research allowance. They should renew and modernise their courses. These are the activities which should be done by the faculties.

There are so many foreign students who are willing to come to Sri Lanka for higher studies. We should plan to attract foreign students from countries like Japan, India,China and Malaysia.

We should plan to bring nearly 80 percent of foreign students from these countries. Because they have a keen interest to come to Sri Lanka for higher studies. We have granted permission to recruit five percent foreign students to the universities. This percentage can be increased to 10 percent by next year.

Universities have the capacity to implement various projects. The Higher Education Ministry has signed an agreement with the computer section of the engineering faculty of Katubedde University to computerise all universities. The Ministry has to pay Rs.140 million to the university for this project. Of that amount, the Ministry has already paid Rs.16 million to the university.

According to instructions given by the President, the money earned by the universities through various projects, research and consultancy services will be given to university dons.

If the lecturers have a interest and dedication,the salary of a junior lecturer can increase to Rs.200,000 while the salary of a senior professor can increase to more than Rs. 400,000. This is what I want to do. Even today I firmly maintain this stand. But this kind of pay hike cannot be made by getting funds from the Treasury. As erudite scholars, these senior professors and lecturers should earn.

That is how universities function in most of the countries. The Government has no intention whatsoever to suspend the free education system in the country. Our intention is to widen more free education opportunities. If university dons earn money, more facilities can be given to students. At present the Government has to provide everything to universities. There are no universities in the world which function in this manner.

The Ministry will introduce a new bill named “quality assurance, accreditation and qualification framework bill”. When this bill is passed, each department and faculty can form an affiliated university college outside that university. It would function as a private institution which will be managed by the university by offering the same degree.

However, our intention is not to produce “jobless youth” through the establishment of these affiliated university colleges. They will commence marketable and job-oriented training courses. Foreign students have shown a keen interest to study our history, culture, archaeology, geography and the Pali language. At present 188 foreign Buddhist monks are studying at the Buddhist and Pali University in Homagama. If universities have an interest, they can easily attract foreign students to universities. They should get ready for it without asking everything from the Treasury. Funds in the Treasury belongs to people of this country. These are the funds which have to be utilised to carry out development projects and provide various relief measures to the poor. Therefore is this a reasonable demand made by university dons?

Q: Are students free to pursue their education?

A: No. When department Heads close the departments and some of the wardens resign, there is no opportunity to conduct lectures in some universities. It destabilises education activities in universities. The President during a meeting held with Vice Chancellors told them they are given the best students selected each year based on the results of the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination. The Government spends nearly Rs. 250,000 on behalf of each university student per year. After completing four years in the university, he or she passes out as a jobless youth.

The President drew the attention of Vice Chancellors to this aspect. If the best students are given to universities and they pass out as jobless youth, the universities should be held responsible for it. Therefore we requested them to rectify this error. According to my view, all students selected to universities this year should be able to find employment once they pass out from universities. At present we are making necessary changes within universities to realise this goal.

At present our universities are functioning below par. Some foreign universities set up in 10 or 15 acres are in a very high position in international ranking. Sometimes they do not have even have half the facilities our universities have. There are some universities in Singapore which have reached to 16 or 24 position in world ranking. Our universities are still at a ranking of above 4000. The reason far this downfall is lack of research and courses not being upgraded to suit modern times.

The Ministry has also decided to give leadership training to university students in army camps. This would guide them how to be punctual in their duties. University students should be physically fit and mentally balanced. When students are recruited to universities this year, they will be given a special three months training on IT, English and leadership training. After that an examination will be conducted for them. We believe there will be around 10,000 students who are weak in English. Following a discussion the President had with the US Government 10,000 distant education scholarships have been given to university students. English won’t be a problem to these students this year once they pass out from universities. Instead of assisting these endeavours, university lecturers are attempting to destroy them.

We should produce graduates who don’t go behind politicians to find jobs. Will not that honour go to these lecturers and professors? They should unconditionally extend their support to make this massive change. But they attempt to give power to extremist forces in universities and drag the university system into a crisis.

Q: What is the present position regarding the establishment of foreign universities?

A: The Cabinet has passed the quality assurance, accreditation and qualification framework bill. It has been sent to the Legal Draughtsman. We hope we will able to present this bill in Parliament before the end of this month or at the beginning of next month. Even today there are nearly 15 foreign institutions in Sri Lanka which offer higher diplomas and Masters. In future, each of this institutions will have to give 20 percent scholarships to students. This would provide the opportunity to children to enter these universities free of charge. Several foreign universities are making necessary arrangements to come to Sri Lanka and establish universities. We have completed the process of granting permission to the Malabe Medical College to offer degrees. Steps will also be taken to upgrade the Naval campus to the university level.

Q: There is an allegation that these universities will ruin free education in the country is this correct?

A: If we allow universities to work blindly, it will become a threat. If university lecturers and professors create various problems within universities and disrupt university education, these foreign universities will become a threat. But whenever there is a threat to State universities, we will impose rules and regulations to prevent these threats.

In the previous budget, the President allocated Rupees three billion to bring seven universities to the international level. Only Katubedde university sent a proposal regarding this. No project proposal has been sent from any other university so far. What they requests is only to construct buildings, toilets or provide computers.

They have no idea to bring these universities to international levels. Therefore I request university lecturers not to be trapped by this conspiracy and destabilise the university system again. After a long struggle, we vested the power of universities with lecturers and professors. They should safeguard it without allowing it to collapse.

Q: Will not there be a danger of university dons leaving State universities and joining foreign universities particularly in the present crisis?

A: They can’t join foreign universities like that. We have legally banned it. If a permanent university lecturer wants, he can join a foreign university as a visiting lecturer.

We will also introduce a law and invite foreign lecturers to come and act as visiting lecturers in our universities as well. According to the law, if a lecturer wants to join a foreign university, he should tender his resignation three years prior to taking up the appointment.

Q: As the Higher Education Minister, do you think the demand for higher salaries in view of their professional standard and escalating cost of living is four?

A: If this argument is built salary scales of university lecturers and professors are above all other public servants.

Salary scales of some State institutions like the Central Bank, State banks and Insurance Corporation are high. But these are profit making State ventures. When compared with salary scales of all other State institutions, universities are well above. But university lecturers can increased salaries by earning money through. The faculties and departments.

Even today I say the salary of an ordinary lecturer should be raised to Rs.200,000 while the salary of a Professor should be brought to nearly Rs.400,000. But this cannot be done by getting funds from the Treasury.

Today the universities in the world have turned into institutions earning money. At present permission has been given to universities to enrol five percent of foreign students. But most of the universities have not even prepared for this. Some faculties of Sri Jayewardenepura University have prepared to get foreign students.

Q: A university is the seat of country’s higher education. Don’t you think that the university dons and students recurrent crisis will have a serious impact in the country’s future?

A: As I mentioned earlier, after 1985, that universities were governed by students. The majority of lecturers who want to develop universities are disappointed. Earlier the Senate did not have anything to do and they did what students asked them to do. However nearly 20 percent of lecturers were very happy about it.

They did not conduct lectures and conducted tuition classes. In order to get money, they were very interested to teach external students rather than internal students. They printed special books for external students. Therefore the present trend created in universities is very disadvantageous to a group of lecturers who made use of the disrupted situation in universities and turned it into a racket.

They should conduct lectures properly. We will get an assessment from students on the lecture delivered by a lecturer from this year. We will do this as a random assessment. Most lecturers accept this while there is a small percentage who oppose it. Those who oppose to assist various elements to disrupt the university system.