Unrealistic interruptions during academic career:

Bleak future for undergrads

by S.A. Ananda BANDARA

We are the undergraduates of State universities and we are proud to be so. We know the actual value, lies in the free education. Most of us are from outstation schools from all the corners of this small island. We know that if there was no free education, we will never get a chance to be called as "graduates". Being selected to the university was a dream come true for all of us and our families. We all believed being selected to a State university is the ultimate achievement in our educational career. In fact, university was a world of knowledge, world of new people, a world of experience and a world of new opportunities for us.

Passing three and half years, we are now in our final semester. For most of us, we are expecting to pass out by September. Our seniors and some of our lecturers have been advising us on what we can do and what we have to do after successfully completing our bachelors degrees. Though there are a world of opportunities we can join, still these constant strikes in State universities have wiped out our hopes on future.

Whatever the reason lies underneath, ongoing strike process has obviously extended the period of time of our degrees, and so it has cut down our right to education continuously, by postponing our mid and final year exams with no due dates. It is mostly crucial for final year students. We would miss all the chances we have to apply for foreign scholarships and also to face for certain competitive exams by government. We have to waste one more year in our lives to apply for the same opportunity. Also, for some valuable scholarships, we can only apply after completing our degrees, but not with pending results.

All of us are now 24+ of age, but yet undergraduates. At international level, we have to compete with young graduates, who complete their masters and even PhDs by the age of 24. Spending more time to complete our bachelors degrees, would be interpreted by selection committees for foreign scholarships, as we have repeated in our university exams. In fact, this is a very pathetic situation especially for final year students.

Concentrating on the academic strikes going on, as students we don't believe it is ethical. No one can ever justify holding a strike while discussions are going on. Also, no one can justify holding a massive strike after 4 working days of another massive strike by non-academics. Above all, it is completely unethical to hold this type of a strike after the government's decision to increase salaries for lecturers, which was a primary demand of FUTA.

To our surprise, now FUTA says, this salary increment has caused discrimination among lecturers. FUTA has just demanded for a 20% increment for all. But, government has provided 74% for senior professors, 58% for senior lecturers, 36% for probationary lecturers. As students we are really happy to hear this increment. Also, we are happy if the government can allocate 6% from GDP for the education. But all those demands should be getting done, in a form which students are not kept in dark. Honestly, still there are some lecturers who truly want to teach us, because they really care students, but still they are also forced not to.

It is clear that there are some key personnels behind this strike. Because of them, this strike has politically motivated and paid by NGOs, to destabilize the whole State university system. While making chaos for free education by them, it is hilarious to see one of FUTA's demands as to have a 'clear government policy on the free education'.

As students, we also want to see an improvement in the university system. In fact, if the quality of the whole university system can be improved both academic and non academic staff would serve students in a better way. Of course, the ultimate service and duty of university staff is to serve students. But because of these unethical strikes, FUTA break this primary duty.

As we understand this is an attempt to hold an "Arab spring" in State universities since all these are intentionally conducted strikes. Continuous strikes destabilize State university system, and to make a bad impression about universities. Universities had been the only liberal body in this country, but now that liberalism is challenged.

We really wonder how and why these so called intellectual products of free education, kill their mother free education, who gave them birth as professionals. We strongly condemn betraying our young lives for money, by these few fake lecturers. We would like to request FUTA, not to violate our right to education. Don't betray us for money. Don't let us pay our lives for the politically motivated conspiracies.

Also, we would like to kindly request all the lecturers for the sake of the free education, please be kind and brave enough to do your duty, without being a shield for anyone. We assure, you would be able to win your rights, in the day you complete your duties and responsibilities.

(The writer is a second year undergraduate at the University of Colombo)