Universities Shut Down
Image via the FUTA blog.
Sri Lanka is the only country I know of where higher education leads to higher unemployment rates. The system is undeniably broke, but it not clear who has the fix. Now the issue has reached a head as University teachers have been striking since July. Now the universities are completely shut down and I’ve been hearing that they’re even kicking the kids out of hostel.
You can see the Federation Of University Teachers’ demands in a PDF here. They’re broadly concerned that state spending on education has dropped from 2.9% of GDP to 1.9%. They want 6% of GDP to be spent on education. Besides the finance, they also want to preserve the education system as public and free. While the first bit I can wrap my head around, I think there has to be private education as well. You can follow more on their Facebook group.
While some of the FUTA’s demands may be debatable, the government response thus far seems to be mostly hyperbole. They’re saying the unions want to destabilize/overthrow the entire government and that they’re making the students suffer without hope.
While I don’t entirely agree with the FUTA’s demands, education does need to be more of a priority, or else there will be problems. Right now the social contract doesn’t work. If you study hard and go to uni you’ll be less employable than A) someone who goes abroad B) someone who goes to a private uni C) someone who just stays home and reads books or speaks English at home. The higher education system is simply broken as a tool of social mobility, and that’s very dangerous.
On the other hand, the FUTA’s demands that education remain fully state controlled seems a bit paradoxical. You don’t trust the government to run the current system, but you don’t want any alternatives. Many parents and students go outside of the current public system because it doesn’t work and hundreds of private institutions have sprung up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I don’t agree with FUTA’s demand that public education be preserved as it is (or was, more accurately), because it obviously isn’t working. Public education needs to be improved, but private education should be an option as well.
IMHO. Anyways, there’s a protest at Hyde Park today at four. Watch the traffic.
Posted on Thursday, August 23rd, 2012 in Education, Sri Lanka.
Mohsin Hamid, author of How To Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia, has a nice 
I’m happy to be featured in Echelon magazine’s 40 Under 40 feature, profiling young people who contribute to the economy in some way, mainly in business but also in terms of innovation and thought leadership. It’s an interesting article not just in that I’m in it (mainly for work on indi.ca and 
I won’t add too much commentary, but just read I guess. The youngest Rajapaksa, Rohitha (Chi Chi) has given an amazing interview to the 
In 2009 this strange character appeared on the Sri Lankan Internet scene, getting angry, flaming, trolling whatever. Then he started naming anonymous bloggers, posting comments as people’s kids, nasty stuff, for which I removed him from 
Rajapaksa Regime is mismanaging Sri Lanka economy. There is no money to pay for education, healthcare and people’s welfare.
BTW But there is plenty of money for guns, bullets, soldiers.In Sri Lanka the militarization is preferred , police state is a norm …. plenty of money to build more jails but not for schools, hospitals and childcare
“government response thus far seems to be mostly hyperbole”
Where exactly did you find this “response”. Whatever the case, the government seems to have given the FUTA a better response than above.(http://dailymirror.lk/news/21348-futa-on-positive-govt-response-.html)
“If you study hard and go to uni you’ll be less employable than A, B and C”
Well that depends on the course your are following. The biggest problem is that government uni courses does not follow the demand in the country (and market). 25% (5000 out of 20, 000) of the intake to the government unis are in the Arts stream. And some lecturers them selves resist any changes such as discontinuing courses. Quality of the lecturers is another matter.
For example, the government effort to attract foreign students by giving them scholarships and FUTA is demanding to discontinue that.
Also there is a serious shortage of lecturers (in certain streams) in the government Unis. The main reason for that is the salary issue.
Sri lankan government university academics have similar salaries, what ever their stream is.
For example a civil engineering professor would get the same salary of a Sinhalese professor. Medical professor same. professor in nano science, same. Basically all the professors have the same salary. All the probationary lecturers have the same salary. so and so…
So while first class art graduate will be happy to take a job that has a monthly salary of Rs.50, 000, a computer science graduate (also first class) would not be much willing to take that option.
Sri Lanka teachers union complained to BBC that Rajapaksa Government wants to militarize the universities. Are the Sri Lanka military want s to militarize the thoughts , the ideas, youngsters minds and the civil society as whole?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19325358
Shantha
Gota wants to imprison the civil society thoughts, ideas, freedoms by militarising it
As long as the universities has to get their funding from the government, obviously the (any) government would have power over it.
Well of course before rajapaksa, Sl academics showing the best results from the UNIz… :P
FUTA is full of such big talk but the truth is they(lecturers ) even couldn’t/didn’t want to, stop ragging in universities. From my experience, lecturers can stop ragging if they really want it to happen. The whole leadership training came as a way to counter it.
BTW students really didn’t get any military training. The program was mandatory but the students had the liberty to skip some of the actives in the program (like physical exercises, etc.). And from what i hear (from participants) they quite enjoyed it.
I won’t be surprised if one day I wake up and read online that SL has dropped the pretense of being a democracy and adopted monarchy. Hmmm, I guess we’ll all have to hand in our old passports and get new ones- The Royal Republic of Maha-Lanka.
Sounds about the right kind of bullshit this government is capable of. Wheeee, can’t wait for King Namal’s coronation…and the sad thing is our people will continue living in the muck as long as regular cricket matches are screened and a regular occurrence of religious intolerance takes place just so some prick headed nitwits can feel superior.
There is absolutely no democracy or justice in this country, children are raped and attacked, tourists are being killed, and the Rajapaksa government has FAILED to make this country safe for us, perhaps because their attention is more on robbing us blind.
Stop being crazy and relax people. They government has given a perfectly legitimate response into what is going on. In a time when terrorism is trying to raise its ugly head again, we Sri Lankans (actually, true Sinhalese Buddhists from Ruhunu – the others just happen to be born in our country) need to stand up.
http://www.lankatruth.com/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2975%3Aexam-muddle-is-an-international-conspiracy–bandula&catid=36%3Atop-stories
As always, uneducated village idiots from our government utter nonsense to deceit us and shut our universities down. God help our education system!!
Rajapaksa Government is incapable to run our country and in total disarray !! He is dragging our country from one crisis to another.. If he fails to do something and things get difficult he puts the blame on international conspiracy, Diaspora, etc… That’s an easy way to get out of the situation and hoodwink the uneducated and the gullible..
Gamini Dissanayake = Tilak Gunewardene = Kanthi Jayakody = Karunaratne Divulgane
Do you have a life?
I dont think that SL is being militarized as ppl say actually politicisation is creeping into every aspect of Sl society. What we have is politicization and not militarization.
Well one of the best article read recently . Agree with most of the factors you’ve bold throughout the post. undoubtedly the System is broke and it’s leading to the higher un employability .
The government is keep failing to offer and facilitate the disciplines of the country which are MUST. Instead of improving the quality of the life , they struggle to seek billions to invest on a sea city for tourist attraction. The system is trying to convince the people how beautiful it could be by prophesying the future advancements IF agreed with the current policies. People are misguided and barely realise that the transparency has been absconded over the recent years.
Politics has been the most popular field where you can earn power and an economical stability which lasts for few generations onward . A miracle needs to be taken place if an educated personal to get elected as a member of our parliament. And he will hardly survive.
I am expecting an intelligent and a firm system which can be driven independently for the betterment of the people of Sri Lanka.
I agreed we will be less employable than the people who stays in home and speak English. But I am unable to comprehend what makes you think that the people who studied in abroad are more likely to get employed. I am one of them with a good hons degree in medical science from a reputed university in the world and has been unable to secure at least a trainee position in Sri Lanka. Interviews have always been very very encouraging whereas theyalways been
- always failed to provide at least a feedback of the interview. So it’s the entire system which is responsible for the things happening in the country.
I wish Sri Lanka will be remained as a very resourceful country at least for next few generations as it was years ago.
where does FUTA say in its demands that education remain under state control? don’t they just say a change should be a consultative process, rather than an arbitrary, secretive one?
Sinhala-Buddhism in action. The only terrorist is the stupidity in your mind!
I salute the brave teachers and wise academics of Sri Lanka for a valiant stand against Despotic Regime!!
The Great Educators of Sri Lanka are protecting our future and stand up what is right !!
Education should not be reserved for rich people only..
It belongs for All Us- Sri Lankans !!
Dear Teachers, Professors, University Workers, Students!!
I thank you for your courage and valiant bravery for standing up for our rights !!