Wither universities of Sri Lanka

by Chandra KARUNADASDA

Sri Lankan universities make news headlines on the media very often-not because of the education imparted or the research they produce, but because of student unrest, clashes between the students and authorities or due to the inhuman ragging of fresher by the seniors.

According to the Oxford Dictionary a university is an institution for the promotion and dissemination of advanced learning, conferring degrees and engaging in academic research.

Sir Ivor Jennings, the first Vice Chancellor of University of Ceylon described the functions of a university as "The fundamental task of a university is to produce men and women who are capable of fulfilling any function in the world that may fall to their lot. Citizens of high intelligence, complete moral integrity and possessing energy, initiative, judgement, fact and qualities of leadership."

The rag was there even half a century ago when there was a single university in the country-the prestigious University of Ceylon with the faculties of Arts, Agriculture, Law and Dental at Peradeniya and Medicine and Science in Colombo.

Today the country can boast of having several universities - although with a question mark with regard to the facilities available.

According to the statistics released recently 22,800 students are qualified to enter the universities this year. Who knows how many of them would be physically maimed for life, mentally tormented, brutally attacked, humiliated and verbally abused by the so-called Jeshta Uttamayas. have heard that ragging has been a tradition in Oxford and Cambridge universities to collect money for charity and this collection was from the public not from the new entrants to the university. This writer was fortunate to witness a first day of a year at the prestigious University of Melbourne. There were new entrants of all hues - African, Chinese, Indian and a few Sri Lankans.

They were enthusiastically entering their lecture rooms, while - probably a senior student was distributing sweets. I was seated on a bench outside the lecture-rooms and he politely offered me some sweets. My thoughts flashed back to my own dear motherland - had I been outside a lecture room in one of our own universities one would be future leaders would have dragged me out saying 'Old woman! What the hell are you doing here?" or even in choice Sinhala.The students in a university have much time at their disposal as they do not have formal lectures throughout the day.

The spare time could be profitably used in the Library and the Library of the University of Peradeniya could boast of one of the best in the East.

But the majority of students are unfortunately unable to make use of this treasure trove due to their poor knowledge of English which they despicably refer to as kadda. Students with a good knowledge of English are also humiliated with the term kadda sira.

It was the Great Indian - the father of that nation who declared "English, more English and better English for my country". That great patriot wanted his people to reap the benefits of the English language. By neglecting English it is not the children of well-to-do parents in the cities that are denied the opportunity to benefit from proficiency of English, but the poor in the rural areas of our country.

The social atmosphere of the universities too has become a fertile ground to sow seeds of hatred and jealousy when some of us who celebrated fifty years of our entry to the university of Peradeniya-some time ago saw the appalling conditions in which the university students live and study.

A room in a hall of residence - which housed a single student long ago is occupied by three or four. They cook their own meals in a section of the bath-room-a part of which is equipped with a bench-top conditions in boarding houses outside the campus may be no better.

There was a time in the university when such greats such as Dr. N. M. Perera, Peter Keunaman, Tissa Wijeratne and other eminent personalities - both Sri Lankan and foreign - addressed the university students.

They never preached "hate-politics" but contributed much to broaden the knowledge of the students on local and international problems.

It is not only among the university students that an erosion of values, manners and decorum is evident but also among the school going population. It is very rarely that a school girl or a boy would offer his or her seat in a bus to an elderly person.

Results of the GCE Ordinary level examination of 2009 indicate the poor academic achievement of our schoolchildren, after ten years of school education.

According to the statistics released recently there have been no passes in seven schools in the Western Province. These schools are said to be well-equipped. In a national school in Kalutara district eleven students have failed in all the subjects.

The students who passed the O/L examination was 56% in 2008 and in 2009 it has dropped to 52 percent. It has been revealed that the number of students who passed in mathematics, science and English has drastically decreased.

It is apparent that the universities and the school system need changes - changes for the better. In Sri Lanka there have been changes in the education system with the changes of governments. Reforms of 1972 and the white paper on education in 1981 are examples

Dr. Mrs. Swarna Jayaweera - a highly respected authority on comparative education stressed that education and politics do not go together. In developed countries such as UK and USA major changes on education are not implemented with changes of government.

What the country needs today is a solid foundation for both secondary and tertiary levels of education to produce "Men and women of intelligence and moral integrity to fulfil the functions of the country."